Love has two sides
by Furby123
Summary: Brine looked at him with fear in her eyes. Luckily, her false beard hid the pallor of her face. "I don't know what you're talking about, Fili." Fili looked at her with a strange shadow in his eyes. "You have to tell him the truth, Pip." One more look was enough to confirm Brine's suspicions. Fili knew who she really was. -I'll try to update every Wednesday-
1. Chapter 1

The Blue Mountains were not a beautiful place for men, but it was for dwarfs. They had built a nice and secure city in for them. A city that most of the dwarfs could call home after they lost Erebor.

A young girl dwarf walked around the market, looking at the different stands settled in. Her face and hair were covered by a grey scarf, only showing her ice-blue eyes. She stopped in front of a stand that sold some jewellery with precious stones. The girl reached for a pair of earrings with an amatiste hanging from them.

"Those are the most beautiful earrings that you would ever see." The owner of the stand told her. "And I also have a ring that matches them perfectly. You can try them." The man walked to her and tried to take the scarf out of her face but she stopped him quickly, walking away from him. "Oh my lady, you will adore them. They are worth for a princess."

"I'll take them." She said and looked for a small bag. "15 gold coins." She handed it to the man. He realized in her white and thin hand. The man took the bag happily and gave her the earrings and the ring.

She turned around to keep her walk when a bunch of dwarfs hit her, making her to fall down. They apologized and took her arm to help her out, taking also the scarf, revealing her face. They went silent and looked at her with horror and disgusting faces. She covered her face and ran away from there as she heard the mean things they were shouting at her.

She got to her house and once inside she started crying. She took out the scarf and threw it away as she walked to her room where she locked herself in. For a moment, she saw her reflection in a mirror. It was true that she was different from the other dwarves, but she did not consider herself disgusting. She did not have big hands and feet, neither a beard as the other girls of her age. But she had the same height and those big ears. She covered the mirror with range and laid on her bed.

"Dammit dwarfs!" She shouted.

* * *

"Brine?" Someone knocked on the door. Brine hid her head under the pillow. It was too early to wake up. "Brine." They knocked again. She did not answer. She heard as the person on the other side of the door opened it and came in. "Come on Brine! You need to start to get ready." Brine recognized that voice. Her aunt could be very persistent if she did not obey.

"Get ready for what?" Brine asked getting out of the bed and covering herself with a robe. Her aunt walked to the window and drawn back the curtains. Brine had to close her eyes as the sunlight came in. She complained about it but her aunt did not hear her. "What's going on today?"

"Don't you remember? Lord Dain is coming today. He wants to make you a proposal." Brine's aunt answered happily. Brine sat down in her bed playing with her hair doing little braids. She had a clear idea about that proposal. Since she got 75, it was not strange for her to hear about those proposals. She was a wealthy heir of the family fortune since her parents died 20 years ago. That explained why she had a lot of proposals. However, when they saw her, they decided to reject her.

"It won't be different this time." Brine told her aunt. She only desired to join to an important family just to get a title. She did not care the man, just the title, and Lord Dain would give her that title. After all, he was the King of the Iron Hills.

Her aunt ignored her a took her to the bathroom where a tub waited with hot water. She almost threw Brine to it.

"You have to be perfect for him. This time, your uncle did not need to persuade him to ask for coming. He was the one who asked!" Brine's aunt was more excited. It was true that the men who came to ask for her came because her uncle looked for them.

After a while, she exited the bathroom with roses smell. Her aunt told her they were the favourite flowers of Lord Dain. When she got to her room, a green dress waited on her bed. It had gold leaves embroidered in the skirt and at the end of the sleeves. With the help of her maid, she put it in. The green of the dress made more intense her red hair. After that, she sat down on a bench in front of the mirror and waited for her maid to braid her hair.

"What do you think he will say?" Brine asked her maid faking a smile.

"That you are the most beautiful dwarf he had seen." Her maid answered as she hugged her by her shoulders. Her name was Zirb. She was a girl from the men and about the same age as Brine. It was going to be sad for her to say goodbye to Zirb once the time came. Brine pat her hands and forgot the conversation.

Lord Lovelace sat in the main room with a pipe in his hand and a lit chimney in front of him. He got his title after his brother's death. It was some years ago, after a hard winter. Brine was not old enough to come into the title, so he was the second chance. As King of the Blue Mountains, he had to look for the correct allies for his people. In front of him sat Lord Dain, from the Iron Hills.

"As I was saying, he is the perfect dwarf for you," Dain said. He had a good reason why he was proposing that marriage to Lord Lovelace. It was said that Thorin Oakenshield was forming a group to take back Erebor. If he got it, the rest of dwarf's kingdoms would disappear, remaining only the landlords. Dain had to ensure that none of the dwarf kings would rebel against Thorin. "He is my cousin nephew, a Durin's son," Dain said proudly.

Brine walked in followed by her aunt. Her head down. Lady Lovelace smiled politely and turned to her. She ordered Brine to act like a lady. Brine sighed and erected herself.

"Lord Dain." Lady Lovelace bowed. Brine did the same but said nothing as she sat down next to her uncle. She felt Dain's eyes on her.

"She is different," Dain said after a long silence. A small smile grew on Brine's face. She knew he would reject her like the others. "But she will fit in." Brine looked at him with open eyes.

"What?!" She could not believe she was hearing right.

"Brine!" Her aunt called her. "Behave your mouth." She turned then to Lord Dain. "I'm sorry, my Lord. She is just astonished. We are used to receiving some proposals for her, but we are not used to having Brine accepted after seeing her." Lady Lovelace explained to him.

"It is true that she has not a long beard, and that her hands and feet are too small. But it is the only chance to join our families."

Brine looked seriously at Dain and her uncle. She was about to complain but Lord Lovelace spoke.

"Then, it is arranged. Brine will do it." He lent out his hand and Lord Dain shocked it.

Brine stood up with a red face. She walked away from the room to the stable. It was where she got when she needed to calm down. She approached her poney. Its brown fur shining because of the moonlight.

"How dare them? Me, marrying a man that I don't know. He is almost 100 years older than me!" She hopped on her poney and ride to a lake near the house. It was something that she was used to doing when she felt troubled. She loved long rides and with the moonlighting the road.

The lake was far than she thought. Her poney was thirsty and she could not find her way back. She did not recognize the place and she concluded that she got lost. Brine got down her horse and walked to a nearby inn. She thought that it was better to look for the way back in the morning. Brine heard her stomach growling. She was hungry.

"The Prancing Poney." Brine read loud and looked at the different creatures that came in. They were mostly men and some dwarves. "I think we should better wait till tomorrow for going back home, don't you?" She asked her poney and walked in.

The place was crowded but at the back, she found a quiet table. Brine sat next to the wall as she heated herself. The autumn was ending and the nights were getting colder.

A man approached her and bring Brine a cup of ale. She looked up at him to reject it but she thought it was better to shut up. Brine did not want to call foreign attention.

The hours passed by and the men and dwarves begun to leave the inn. It was almost empty except for a dark dwarf that was sitting on the opposite corner of the inn. A tall man with grey tunic joined him. It was quiet and Brine could overhear some parts of their conversation.

"We are going to get back Erebor." The dwarf said with a low voice. "We need to go back home. We are tired of being around in places that we cannot call home." The grey man waited in silence, as thinking about the dwarf's words. Taking back Erebor was something crazy that only a specific dwarf would do that thing.

"Then let me help you, Thorin Oakenshield." The man said. Brine listened carefully. If it was true that he was Thorin, it meant that he was her King. Every dwarf's King. An idea came to her mind. If Thorin got back to Erebor, she would lose her title. A smile grew on her face. If she lost her title she would not need to marry Lord Dain. She could be free at last.

Brine stood up and walked out of the inn. She did trust Thorin, but maybe she could help him in his journey too. There was only one problem. Thorin would not accept a woman in his group. He would see her weak and a distraction. Brine sat next to her horse thinking about a solution, playing with her poney's tail. She took it in her hands and begun to braid it but stopping suddenly. It was a dark tail. It could almost match her head.

"I'm sorry, Rose." She told her poney. "But I need this." Brine searched for a rock that she could use to cut the tail. It did not take her much time. She remembered seeing some jars with honey in that she could use to glue the tail to her face. She got up. The next thing she needed was other clothes. She could not pretend to be a man while wearing a dress. Near the inn was the owner's house. Brine looked around, finding some clothes hanging from a rope. They were wet. They must have been washed. "They are better than nothing." Brine sighed looking around, making sure that none was around. She changed her clothes, keeping the dress with her. Brine looked at herself reflected in a puddle on the ground. She was a perfect man dwarf.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for that review, I hope you keep enjoying the story. Also, thank you StoriesNMore and Sweet Petit for favourite and follow the story. For ****the others, I cheer you to leave a review and follow the story too.**

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Brine entered the inn again, but this time she was not wearing a dress nor nice things. She wore a pair of brown leather trousers and a big yellowish linen t-shirt. The only thing that left from her princess' outfit was her boots. Her hair was half braided and a brown beard decorated her face. None could guess she was a girl.

Brine looked around for Thorin and the man. She only found the dwarf. Slowly she walked to him and cleared her throat before speaking.

"Excuse me, sir." The dwarf looked up to her. "Are you Thorin Oakenshield?" She did not wait for his answer. "I could not help but hear your conversation. You are going to Erebor, right?" She asked.

"May I know who is asking?" Thorin asked in a low voice. Brine looked at him for a moment before answering his question.

"I'm Pip." It was the first name that came to her mind.

"And where are you from, boy?" Thorin had learned to not trust easily in people.

"I'm from the Blue Mountains." Brine answered exasperatedly. "I'm sorry sir, but could you answer my first question?" She had her blue eyes fixed on him. "I'm really interested in join your crew." She finally said. Thorin shocked his head.

"I'm sorry boy, but my crew is with enough dwarfs right now. I cannot afford more outlays." Thorin said as he stood up and walked out of the inn. Brine followed him.

"I don't want money nor part of the treasure. I just want to help you."

"Help me?" Thorin asked surprised. "Don't make me laugh." He said with a funny tone. "I'm sorry boy, but I don't think you could help me in any way." Brine breathed heavily, trying to control herself.

"I can be your squire. You don't need to worry about anything. I've got money and my own poney." It was Brine last chance. If Thorin rejected that, she did not know what to do. Thorin looked at her coldly.

* * *

Brine looked at the little green door in front of her and the blue mark shining on it. She could hear people singing and laughing on the other side.

"A party?" She asked. Thorin did not answer. He knocked on the door and waited for it to open. Brine could hear as the laughs died. After a while, the door opened and more dwarfs appeared on the other side. Thorin entered in and she followed closely. Brine recognized the grey man that accompanied Thorin a few days ago in the inn.

"Gandalf." Thorin greeted him and began talking with him. She did not pay much attention to the conversation. She was more interested in the little and humble house she was in.

The inner seemed so comfortable, so cozy. Brine could not help but smile. Her eyes repaired in a dwarf that was looking at her shyly. She waved at him and that frighted him. He ran away to the dining room. Brine called him and followed him.

"Whoa Whoa." A voice sounded next to her.

"Who are you?" Another voice asked as the person took her by her shoulder. Brine looked at the person. She met a pair of blue eyes and long blond hair and beard. Brine was about to answer when Thorin's voice interrupted her.

"He is a new member of the Company." More dwarfs followed Thorin and sat around the table. Behind them, a middleman appeared. Brine recognized him as a hobbit. Brine looked at the dwarfs again. The blond one was not at her side anymore. He was sitting in the table. She could not sit down with them so she chose to stand up next to Thorin. "The name I don't remember."

"I'm Pip." Brine said with a low voice. She heard as they murmured about her presence there. "I've already told Thorin that I don't want any part of the treasure. I only want to help you."

"Help us? And how are you supposed to do it." An old dwarf with red hair and beard asked. Brine looked at his mean face and the faces of the rest dwarfs. She could not help but notice on the face of the blond one. He had a smirk on and was chatting with another young dwarf with brown hair next to him. She surprised herself when she noticed that this last one had not beard. Maybe she was not so strange after all.

"I can heal any wound." It was true that Brine had learnt to do it. Zirb had told her other tips that were very useful too. But it did not seem to convince the dwarfs. She threw a quick glance to Thorin. He was looking at her with his head to aside. She knew she had to use the same argument that had convinced him the day before. "I also know some people in different towns." Thorin rosed an eyebrow. "And I also have some money."

"Well, that's a good reason." The red-haired dwarf laughed. The other dwarfs joined him but they did not last long as they stopped when the old man came in. Brine remembered his name: Gandalf. He tried to sit down but the chairs were too small for him so he decided to stand up.

"Tell us, Gandalf, why are we here?" Thorin asked. Brine looked around trying to find a place where she could sit. It seemed that it was going to be a long conversation. She could not find a place and she sat on the floor next to the door.

"My dear Thorin. I've got something for you." Gandalf said. Brine could see as he took out a key from his pocket. He gave it to Thorin. "A key to Erebor." The dwarfs gasped and murmured about that key.

"If there is a key, there must be a door." Brine chuckled at that comment. "Hey, what's your problem?" Brine looked up. The blond dwarf was looking at her with a mean face.

"Well, I think it is a very stupid appreciation." Brine laughed. "Obviously there is a door. Erebor was a great kingdom were people came in. If there isn't a door, how would they come?" Brine talked about it as if it was the easiest thing to understand.

"Ignore him, Fili." The beard-less dwarf said. Brine looked at him. She did not mean to offend him.

"You are right, Fili. There is a door. A hidden door."

"But how do we find it?" The beard-less dwarf asked.

"Well Kili, I think I am not the one to answer that." Gandalf's old eyes looked at Thorin. He rose up from his chair and put a paper on the table. Brine rose up too and walked to see it closer.

"A map." She said looking closer to it. "To Erebor."

"Who is the stupid dwarf now?" Fili looked coldly at her.

"It guides us to that hidden door," Thorin told. "But there are these runes that I cannot read."

Brine looked at the runes. She seemed somehow to remember them. They were burned in her mind but she could not understand them nor read them. The dwarfs began to argue about the map and how to get there. She tried to focus on them. Brine closed her eyes. She knew she could remember.

"Moon elves' runes!" Brine exclaimed but none heard her. Only Gandalf who looked at her with a strange look and nodded.

"But what about Smaug? What about the dragon?" Someone asked, catching Gandalf's attention.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot. That's why we are here. I want you to introduce Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit."

"Why do you think we want a hobbit in our company?" The red-haired dwarf asked.

"Because Smaug is used to the dwarf's smell, but not to a hobbit. He could get you the arkestone and you will reconquest Erebor." Brine looked at the hobbit that appeared behind Gandalf right then.

"Smaug? What kind of creature is that Smaug?" He asked curiously.

"Well Balin, bring him the contract." Thorin ignored him. Actually, everyone did. Brine felt pity for him. As he read the contract the answer seemed to come to him.

"Incineration?" He seemed out of breath.

"Just think about it as a big oven. One flash of light and puff, your nothing but ashes." A dwarf with a pipe and a funny hat said.

Bilbo looked at him before fainted in the hall. Brine run to him as she asked for mint oil to wake him up.

* * *

It took Brine almost an hour to wake Bilbo up. He opened slowly his eyes. Brine helped him to get up and told him to sit down in his bed.

"Here." She said bringing him a cup of chamomile. "It will help you." Bilbo thanked her but he seemed lost in his thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"I-I-I cannot do it. I mean, I'm a Baggins, from Bag Ends." Bilbo excused himself. "I cannot go running off into the blue..." Brine felt pity for him. She wanted to tell him about the importance of that quest, but she would tell him the importance for her, of course. Brine sighed. She saw Gandalf coming and she decided to let them some time alone.

She looked for the dwarfs at the end of the hall. She found them near the chimney, a silence among them. Brine saw a small tool next to Fili, who was smoking against a wall. She walked to it. He seemed a bit annoyed about that and walked to another place. Brine thought that she should talk to him about the incident of before. She did not want that bad atmosphere with the members of the company. Brine felt like an intruder and she tried to go unnoticed.

Suddenly, Thorin began humming an old song. Brine heard it and sadness got into her heart. He was singing the same song that her father used to sing her before sleep. Brine could not stop the tears in her eyes. The memory was so hard. She tried to look away but she met a pair of cold blue eyes. Fili was looking at her from the other side of the room. Brine straight herself, trying hard not to lose control. He could not suspect anything, could he?


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much StoriesNMore and to my guest for your beautiful reviews. They really mean so much to me. Hope you enjoy this new chapter. And for the others, don't be shy, you can leave a review too and follow the story so you don't lose any chapter.**

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It was beginning to get light when Brine felt asleep. After a night full of dwarfs snoring loudly and talking in their dreams, she finally got some rest. However, it did not last long. Someone socked her lightly. She opened her eyes and found a dwarf with a funny moustache.

"Come on lad, it is time to go." He said. "Oh. I'm Bofur, by the way." The dwarf said happily and handed his hand for her.

"I'm Pip." She smiled and shocked his hand. At least someone was nice to her. "What about the hobbit? Is he coming too?"

"We'll see it." He grinned. "Some of us are betting about it." Bofur moved closer to her. "I am sure that he won't come, but I am telling the others that he will." Brine looked at him and then at the other dwarfs that were waking up.

"Why is that?" Brine asked curiously.

"Because that way, I will be the one that wins." Bofur smiled. "That's how I do it." Brine looked at him confused.

"But, if you always do that, don't you think they'd know that its a trick?" Bofur's face changed and the smile disappeared. He looked at the others and run to them.

Brine saw the scene and laughed. A voice caught her attention. Thorin was telling her to prepare the poneys. It took her almost an hour to get everything ready for the left. Just when she was finishing she saw Gandalf coming to her.

"Good morning, Sir." Brine greeted him. He nodded and walked to his horse. Brine looked at it scared. She had seen horses before but not that close. "Do you need some help?" She asked with doubt. Fortunately for her, he refused her help.

"Where are you from, boy?" Gandalf asked without looking at her.

"I'm from the Blue Mountains." She answered without much attention.

"Oh, a beautiful place, isn't it." Gandalf kept going with the conversation. "Such a pity what happened to Lord Shelgon." Brine looked away as she remembered her father. She did not know, but Gandalf was noticing all her reactions. Brine breathed deeply and straightened herself.

"Yeah. But he will always be in our hearts." Brine caressed her breast. She remembered the day she buried her father in the old crypt. That day, Brine made a promise. She would make everyone remember him.

"I hope his daughter could manage the kingdom right." Brine looked at him with an arched eyebrow. She thought about what to answer but she decided not to say anything more. She suspected that he had said those words with another meaning.

Thorin came out from the house just in time, guiding the Company out of the Shire. Brine was at the queue and she could not help but looked back at Bilbo's house, hoping he would appear at any time.

"Forget about him." A dwarf with grey hair said. He was next to a young dwarf that looked scared.

"Why so, Dori?" The young dwarf asked with curiosity. "He has nothing to lose, has he?"

"He had also nothing to win." Brine answered instead of Dori. She looked back again.

She walked next to Ori and Dori all the road talking about random things. Brine learnt that Ori was the little dwarf of three brothers. Dori was the oldest and then came Nori.

"Be careful with him. He is known for his dishonest acts, although he is a good dwarf after all." Dori told Brine. She looked at the man that Dori was pointing with his head. "And what about you? Who are your brothers?"

"Me?" Brine was not ready for that question. She had not thought about that part of her fake story. "I have three older brothers." Her voice sounded nervous.

"And where are they?" Ori asked. Brine's hands were sweating.

"The last thing I know is that they went to the Iron Hills." Brine lied again.

"Oh really, what are their names?" Gandalf asked. He had approached them in silence. Brine was breathing with difficulty. She needed to come with an idea quickly. Time was running out and she thought that was her end. Suddenly, a voice was heard from the distance. Someone was shouting them. Everyone stopped and tried to see the person. Bilbo appeared running with a paper in his hand. He was crying that he had signed it.

Thorin walked to him with his poney, followed by Balin. This last one took the paper and checked that everything was right. After that, he welcomed Bilbo to the Company. Thorin ordered to bring him a poney. Brine heard as the dwarfs moved on their poney looking inside their pockets. She saw as they took some bags and through them to the queue, where Gandalf took them and kept them. He looked at Brine funny.

"Everyone thought he would not come." He simply said and kept riding while he smoked his pipe.

* * *

Brine felt bad for Bilbo. The little hobbit was clearly not comfortable in the poney. Neither with the rain that started falling at that moment.

"It will be a few minutes," Dori told Ori but he was so wrong. The rain lasted until almost night. Everyone was wet and cold. They found a nice cave where they could sleep till the next day.

Brine did her work. She took the poneys and put them aside. After that, she looked for some wood to do fire. Luckily for her, Bombur offered her some help. He was the cooker and he needed the fire to start dinner.

"Can I help you with it?" She asked. Bombur accepted and, together, they prepared a soup with some onions and carrots. Kili had hunted some rabbits that added some flavour to the soup.

The dinner went very well. Brine was starting to get along with everyone. They drunk beer and laughed about random things. Even Fili was talking with her!

"Hey, Pip. I bet you can't hunt one rabbit like Kili." Fili laughed. Brine knew she could not reject the bet. After all, she had told about her fake life, she was supposed to know how to hunt a simple rabbit. Brine nodded and stood up. "Wait Pip. You don't need to go alone. Go with Mr Boggins." Fili had a strange gleam in his eyes. "After all, he is a burglar."

"I-I-I don't think it is a good idea. It's too dark." Bilbo seemed very nervous. "We-We-We can get lost."

"Don't worry Mr Boggins, Pip is a good hunter, isn't he?" Kili joined the conversation. Brine looked at the brothers and walked to a bush pushing Bilbo with her.

* * *

Brine kept looking around trying to find some noise or something that could mean there were some rabbits around there, but all there was it was a silent atmosphere. Bilbo kept telling her to go but she was not willing to lose the bet. She needed to prove to them that she was useful after all.

After a while, she was ready to go back without a rabbit. She felt frustrated. Bilbo tried to cheer her up.

"You have tried, Pip. Don't be so cruel with yourself." Bilbo walked next to her when they heard some noises. "What is that?"

"It is coming from those bushes." Brine whispered and she walked slowly to the bushes. Bilbo followed her. They were ready to look in when someone yelled and came out of nothing. Bilbo and Brine ran away as fast as they could while someone was trying to catch them. She had never run that much in her life. From time to time she looked but to see if they had lost it. One of those times, she did not see a rock on the road. Brine's foot bent and she felt. "Bilbo!" The hobbit turned around and tried to get her up.

"Come on, Pip. We are almost there." Brine tried to stand up but the pain got to her hip.

"I can't!" She was almost crying. Thanks for her, the fake beard hid the tears that fell from her eyes. The footsteps that had been following them were closed. "Bilbo, go!" She told Bilbo but he refused to let her there alone.

Bilbo and Brine stood there waiting for that thing when the noise stopped. Someone cried in pain. After some minutes, Thorin appeared with Fili and Kili. They were looking ashamed. Thorin ordered Fili to help her. He did it reluctantly and put his hand around Brine's waist. It was not a comfortable situation for her so she moved away and put her hand on his shoulder. Brine thanked Fili but he did not even look at her.

* * *

When they arrived with the others, Thorin began yelling at them.

"Do you think it is funny to risk other's life?" The young dwarfs did not say a word. "How could you be so childish and immature?"

"We are sorry Thorin," Fili said seriously.

"Fili... Precisely you are the one that should behave better. You are not supposed to do that kind of things!" Fili got red. Brine looked at them and asked Balin why he was yelling them.

"Thorin knows what is fear and he doesn't find funny that others make laugh about it." Brine listened carefully at the story. Balin was telling her about a fight with some orcs. It was the fight against Azoc, where Thorin lost his grandfather and when Brine lost his father. She came back to the story and forgot those painful moments. "And that's when I knew that I could follow someone. That there was someone that I could call King." Balin had ended his story and everyone was looking expectant at Thorin.

"But he is been so rough with them. Especially with Fili. I'm not mad at them." Brine did not know why, but she felt bad for Fili. Thorin kept lecturing him about his duty.

"Fili and Kili are Thorin's nephews. He wants them to act as they supposed to be." Balin said. Brine did not know why but she felt strange for Fili. She did not know why, but she felt a hush to protect him, although she did not say anything more and went to sleep. She needed to rest after the long day.

* * *

"Hey, Pip. Wake up." Brine opened her eyes lazily. It was still dark but Kili was shocking her.

"What's wrong?" She asked with a bad mood.

"It's time for your training lesson," Kili answered as he also went to wake Bilbo up too.

"Our training?" Brine stood up. She still felt a bit pain in her foot. Kili walked to them to a near plain as he told them about Thorin's punishment for them after last night.

"He told us to teach both of you to fight."

"Fight?!" Bilbo did not see please with the idea. "I don't need to fight."

"Then, learn at least how to defend yourself," Fili said as he joined them. He gave Bilbo and Brine a sword and began to teach them the position they should take when fighting and how to move their feet. Brine saw Bilbo, he did it really well after all. Unluckily for her, she found a bit more difficult to move that quickly. "What's wrong, Pip?" Fili asked as he looked at her closer. "No! Don't take the sword like that!" He moved behind her and put his hands over hers. "Like this!" Brine could not pay attention to the lesson at that time. Nobody had been that close to her. She could felt every muscle of him and his scent... it was something addicted. She began to feel strange. Brine could not breathe well. She was feeling nervous to be around Fili but at the same time, she did not want him to go. Was she starting to see the dwarf with different eyes? No, it could not be that. She did not know him that much. But what was happening then?


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much, my dear guest, for your review, it really means to me. For my other readers, thank you too, and I encourage you to leave a review too (If you don't have an account you can leave it as a guest).**

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Brine sat down exhausted after a long training session. It had been a week from the first time that she took a sword. She could see some progress with it and with her relation with Fili. She could stand some rounds before falling exhausted on her knees.

"Good job, Pip." Fili patted her back and sat down next to her. "You have made me sweat." He laughed and took out his shirt. Brine could not help but notice his bright torso and abs. She quickly took out her eyes, feeling as her cheeks turned red. Lately, she was starting to understand what was happening to her. Although it was only a thought, it was begging to grow. Brine stood up. "Where are you going?" Fili asked as he fired his pipe. Brine did not turn to him. She was trying to control her breathing.

"It is late and tomorrow we have a long way." She tried to sound as normal as she could but she failed. Fili agreed not sure and let her go back to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Brine woke up before everyone else. She walked to a nearby river and bathed herself as quick as she could. She was risking so much by doing it, but she felt the need to wash. The water caressed her body. It was cold, but she did not really care. Just as she was getting dressed again, she heard some voices coming from the camp. Brine ran back to the camp, thinking that they were about to leave when she saw a figure on a horse that was trying to talk with someone.

"Good morning, young lady." Gandalf greeted her. She took out the scarf that was hiding her face. Brine stopped. She would recognize that raven hair anytime. Zirb. What was she doing there?

"Good morning, Sir." She turned to hop off the horse when she found a hand that took the rides and another offered to her. Zirb met Thorin's blue eyes. She stopped there with doubt in her eyes. Brine saw as Thorin moved his hand gesturing her to come and handled with the horse. She got there just at the same time that Zirb landed on the ground. Thorin took her by the waist so she could regain her balance easily. Brine observed them. Zirb was only an inch taller than him, as he was a tall dwarf. Their eyes were locked with the others. His were a mix of emotions that travelled from distrust to admiration. Zirb's were curious.

"Is everything okay?" Balin's voice interrupted them. They moved away from each other, although Thorin's eyes did not change.

"Actually not," Zirb answered. Brine looked at her from behind her horse. "I'm wondering if you have seen a young dwarf theses last days. She is a young dwarf with red hair and a green dress. She has big blue eyes and pale skin." Zirb kept describing Brine. She moved her fake beard hiding her face a bit more.

"I'm sorry but we haven't seen anyone from the beginning of our adventure." Balin apologized. Zirb seemed frustrated. She was murmuring something and turned to her horse, ready to keep her search. Thorin got her first. Brine did not know for sure, but she thought that Thorin wanted to know Zirb a bit more.

"Why don't you rest a bit." His hands were at his back, holding at each other. His blue eyes memorizing every inch of Zirb's face.

"I'm sure you would feel better after a good breakfast," Bofur said. He was holding a pot with water. Zirb looked at him and then at Thorin before accepting the invitation.

* * *

Brine sat on a rock a bit far from the rest of the dwarf. Her eyes were fixed on Zirb. She was thinking about telling her plan to her, but she was not sure about Zirb's reaction. She got back to reality when she noticed someone sitting next to her. Brine met Bilbo. She had observed that he did not fit yet in the company, but he seemed more comfortable with her. Bilbo was curious about Zirb, but he did not want to be noisy.

"Who is the new one?" Someone asked. Fili and Kili joined them and Bilbo greeted them. Brine did not say anything. Sometimes Zirb met her eyes until she looked away. "She looks nice," Kili said and hit Fili playfully. He choked up and nodded.

"Aren't dwarfs girls like her?" Bilbo asked. The three dwarfs looked at him.

"Obviously not," Fili said surprised. "They are smaller and more beautiful than her, with beautiful beards that match perfectly with their dresses." Brine looked at him offended. She did not consider dwarfs girls prettier than Zirb. Indeed she was very beautiful with her long raven hair and her dark eyes. But at the same time, she felt glad when she heard about Fili's opinion. "Isn't that right guys?" Kili nodded. Brine did the same but at the same time, she felt pity for her. To Fili, she would never be a beautiful dwarf.

"So Fili, do you have any beautiful dwarf like that waiting for you?" Bilbo asked. Brine opened her eyes surprised and waited for the answer. Kili laughed and told him that Fili was not that kind of man. "What does it mean?"

"It means that not. I've met some girls but now is not the right moment. I don't know how long I can be in this adventure, nor if I would die or not. How can I ask some young dwarf to wait for me?" He almost muttered that last part to himself. Brine felt her heart melting at his words. It was the most beautiful thing that she had heard. She was about to comfort him when Balin walked to them with Zirb and Thorin at his side.

"Pip, lady Zirb wants to ask you a few questions." He said politely. Brine did not know why she wanted to talk with her. "We've been thinking that, since you are from the Blue Mountains, maybe you know something about a certain dwarf." Brine stood up and nodded without saying a word as she walked with Zirb in silence. They arrived at a nice plain where they could talk.

"What's the matter, my lady?" She asked without looking at her. The answer left her frozen.

"Are you serious, Brine?" Zirb turned her so they were facing each other. "What were you thinking? Everyone is looking for you! And what the heck is this?" She asked as she took Brine's fake beard. Brine took it again quickly and put it again. "Why are they calling you Pip?!"

"Okay, Zirb! Could you stop for a minute?" Brine asked and after making sure that she was not going to interrupt, she told Zirb everything about her plan. After some minutes she shut up, waiting for her reaction.

"Are you serious? How do you think you could help them? You are not a warrior, nor a wizard." Zirb was calmer now. Brine tried to answer all her questions, but they did not convince her. "Brine, stop this nonsense." Zirb tried to change her mind but it was useless. Brine was determined to keep on with her plan. Even if she was not useful as the other dwarfs or Gandalf, she was sure she could help Thorin anyway.

* * *

Zirb and Brine joined the company after almost an hour. Zirb gave up with the idea of getting Brine back to the Blue Mountains. But she was determined to not let her alone in this new adventure. After a brief talk with Thorin and Gandalf, they arranged to let Zirb join them for a few days just to see if she could find her little friend. Brine sighted and ride her pony. They had lost much time today and she knew that the road was long that day.

It was night when they arrived at their next stop. It was a bunch of ruins that used to be an old farm. Brine was not in a good mood that night. She had to bare Kili and Fili trying to flirt and impress Zirb and that was getting her nuts. She was glad when Thorin ordered them to watch out the poneys that night. Brine walked to the fire and started doing the dinner. Zirb followed her after been talking with Thorin a long time. She could see something between those two.

"Can I help you?" Brine did not answer her. She felt betrayed for her. They had talked back in the Blue Mountains about dwarfs boys and Zirb's answer was always the same. She thought that they were rude and with bad moods always. "What's wrong, Brine?" Zirb seemed worried.

"Stop calling me that!" Brine looked around worried if someone was listening. "I'm Pip, remember? And if you want to help me, go call Fili and Kili. Dinner is ready." She said and Zirb did as she told her. Some second later, she appeared escorted by the two brothers. As before, they were trying to impress her. Brine could not stand it anymore and walked out saying that she was not hungry.

She was trying to control her breathing so she could relax. Why did it hurt her so much? Maybe that thought was growing, turning into a feeling that she was scared to put a name on it. Brine started biting her lip until blood tasted in her mouth.

"Brine? What's wrong with you now?" Zirb appeared right back her.

"What a surprise, where are your two bodyguards?" Zirb could note the bitterness in her tone. She knew then that Brine was angry, but she was not sure the reason.

"Are you jealous?" Zirb smiled and poked Brine. She stopped when she saw the hurt expression of Brine. "Brine?" Zirb thought about the two brothers. They were not Brine's type, or at least that was what Zirb thought.

"It's nothing, okay?" Brine hide her face. She did not want to talk about her feelings. Not yet.

"Brine, you've been in this bad mood all day." Zirb thought about her next question. "Is it because of Kili?" Zirb observed her. Maybe they already were her type. Kili had seemed to be the youngest of the company and the one that flirted more. She saw as Brine did not change anything. "Or it is because of Fili?" Zirb saw as her back tense. Her mouth opened. "Brine, what's wrong with him?" She would never imagine the answer.

"I think that you are hindering the mission." Brine avoided meeting her eyes. She needed to separate Zirb from Fili. "You are captivating much attention, Zirb. You are not safe here. You'll be better back home."

"Brine, what's wrong with you? I'm not doing anything." Zirb tried to defend herself from Brine's words. "Why do you care so much about me being with Fili and Kili?" She was almost laughing because of the nonsense.

"I like him, okay?" Brine chest was about to explode. She did not want to talk about it but it was messing in her head since the first night of the adventure.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you again, my dear guest, for your lovely review. Hope you and the rest enjoy this chapter. Love.**

* * *

Zirb looked at Brine with big eyes. She had admitted that she liked Fili.

"But this is something incredible!" Zirb sounded excited. For Brine, Fili was the first dwarf that caught her attention. "You should talk with him!"

"Zirb, I cannot talk with him like this, like Pip. He would find it creepy." Brine caressed her eyes trying to make disappeared her headache.

"Pip!" The girls shut up and turned to the voice. Bilbo was running to them. "We have a big problem. Oh, excuse me. Did I interrupt you?" Bilbo asked when he saw Zirb.

"Don't worry Bilbo. What is wrong?" Brine asked. Bilbo tried to explain everything to her but it seemed complicated. He told her to follow him to understand everything. Zirb joined them too.

"Fili will tell you." Bilbo answered. Brine's cheeks turned red. Zirb looked at her with a mischievous smile. Brine tried to control herself all the way.

* * *

They reached Fili and Kili, who were looking at the horses' place with scared faces. Brine looked at them and then back at the horses. She asked what was wrong.

"We have a problem with the poneys," Fili said without looking at her.

"There were supposed to be thirteen, but now there are only eleven," Kili explained. Brine knew then the wrong of the situation.

"Maybe they are around here," Zirb said as she looked around.

"Thorin will kill us if he finds out." Fili did not answer Zirb. He was too worried about the poneys. Brine could not stand it.

"Don't worry. I'll try to get them back." Brine said looking around and walking into the woods. Fili and Kili followed her close. The three of them stopped when the saw the scene in front of them. Bilbo and Zirb joined them talking loudly. Kili shut up Bilbo putting his hand in his mouth. Fili did the same with Zirb and holding her by her waist. Brine threw her a mean look. Zirb responded with a sorry look.

"Orcs!" Kili murmured to the question in Bilbo and Zirb's mind. "They must be the ones that took our poneys."

"Look!" Fili pointed to the two poneys that were behind one of the big orcs. They were talking about how to cook them. "We need to do something." Fili looked at them and his eyes repaired in Bilbo. "You are a burglar, Bilbo!"

"What? No, I'm not!" Bilbo seemed scared.

"Of course you are! That was what Mr Gandalf told us." Kili said and pushed him to the orcs as he told him that they would be watching him. "Just bring them back," Kili muttered and hid with Fili, Brine and Zirb behind some trees.

"If you run into trouble hoot twice like a barn owl and once like a brown owl," Fili whispered. He received a shocking look from Bilbo as an answer.

"I'm not sure about that." Brine told them as she saw Bilbo walking slowly to the orcs and the poneys.

"Don't be a fool, Pip. He is an expert in these things." Fili patted his back and chatted with Zirb. "How long are you going to stay with us?"

"Not much." Brine answered and regretted it a second later. "I mean, Thorin won't agree to have another member in the company, will he?" She excused herself.

"I don't think Uncle Thorin saw her as a mere member." Kili looked at Zirb mischievous. Brine turned abruptly to them. Zirb was looking away and Fili was with red face telling Kili to shut up. Brine tried to met Zirb's eyes but they were fixed on the ground. Brine knew that she had to talk with her seriously. Maybe she needed to talk with Fili too. "Oh shit!" Kili brought the attention back to Bilbo.

Brine remembered he had almost freed the poneys. A second later the orcs were holding him by his arms and legs. Kili took his sword. Fili did the same and together they jumped to the forest shouting to drop the hobbit. Brine looked at Zirb.

"Go and take the others here." She ordered as she took a little knife. "Go!" Brine shouted as she jumped in the back of the orcs, dipping her knife in one of the orcs legs. The orc yelled in pain and took his hands out of Bilbo. He turned to Brine, ready to attack her. She gulped the knot in her throat and thought about Fili's lessons when the rest of the company appeared in. The fight that took place there was intense.

"Come on Pip! This is not a mere lesson." Fili looked at her with a funny face. "Show me what have you learnt." He laughed as he hit an orc. Brine looked at him and nodded as she did the same things that Fili had taught her. She hit the same orc making him to kneel down. "Good job man!" Fili laughed and pat her back. His touch sent her shivers down her back. Brine could not help but lose herself in Fili's blue eyes. It was like the rest of the world did not exist. Everything was silence in her head. It took Brine some minutes to realize that the fight had stopped. They had taken Bilbo again, and there was another figure with him.

"Zirb!" Brine shouted. She could see that the girl was terrified.

"Drop your weapons." One of the orcs said. "Drop them or say goodbye to your little friends." Everyone stopped and looked at Thorin. Brine followed his eyes. They were fixed in Zirb. With a move of his hand, he ordered everyone to drop their weapons.

* * *

Brine saw the part of the company inside some sacks. The others were, like her, joined to a big trunk over a fire. In other moment, her position could be a perfect one, with Fili's head between her leg and...

"What am I thinking?!" Brine told herself as she felt embarrassed about what she was thinking. She was getting dizzy and nauseous with the movement and with all the noise around her. Brine tried to focus on something else. She tried to think about how good she had fought a moment before, side to side with Fili. That made her think about how handsome he looked when he fought with all his rhythmic movements and. "No again!" Again, she forced herself to take Fili out of her mind. She thought about a way to escape from there when she realized about a fact: Zirb was not with the other dwarfs. She did not know how but she had managed to escape from the orcs. "She must be out there." Zirb looked around as she could and saw a figure behind some trees. "Fili!" She called him. Fili met her gaze. "Zirb is out there!" She whispered and pointed with her head at the forest. Fili followed her head.

"You are right." Fili said and looked at Thorin. They did not say a word. It was only an exchange of looks but Brine was sure about what they were thinking. Bilbo saw that exchange too and walked to the orcs. He started telling them how to cook dwarfs.

"Do you want to kill us?!" Bofur yelled from the trunk too. Bilbo looked at him and made up another excuse. That time he told the orcs that those dwarfs were infected with worms. Kili was the one to complain at that time. Brine looked at them and tried to see the scene from a different point of view.

"He is trying to gain time." She muttered and looked at Thorin. He seemed to had the same conclusion as he hit Kili and pointed him to shut up. Brine turned back to the forest. Zirb was not there anymore. She looked around trying to locate her but a shadow caught her attention. "Gandalf is here!" She told everyone just at the same time he hit a big rock and let the sunlight entered in. It was then when Brine knew they were saved.

* * *

It took an hour to get them down from the trunk. Some of them had some injuries from the fight.

"Let me heal them before going back to the road." Brine told Thorin. He did not doubt it and nodded. Brine had waited for an argument so she looked shocked at him.

"Don't waste time." Thorin walked away to the forest.

Brine looked around and begun to walked around the dwarfs. Dwalin and Balin were the ones that had the worst injuries. Brine took a needle and sewed them up.

"I'm sorry." She told Balin as she saw his painful face. Balin did not say a word. He bit his lip and forced an smile just to tell her that he was alright. When she finished, she looked around for her next patient. "Now, let me help you with this." She said as she sat next to Fili. He had a scratch on his left cheek. "Don't worry, it won't let you a mark."

"It would be a nice way to start talking with a lady." Fili blinked her and Brine turned lightly red. She did not say anything more and avoided looking at him. "Where is Thorin?" Fili asked when she had finished to heal him. Brine looked around.

"He has walked away." She turned around but could not find Zirb. "Have you seen Zirb?" She asked Fili. He looked at her with a mean look.

"Pip, what is it between you and her?" He stood up and walked closer to her. "Listen, a woman like her would never lay her eyes on a dwarf like you." Brine looked at him with big eyes. She could not believe what he was saying.

"What do you mean?" Brine walked closer to him too with high head.

"That she is better with a dwarf from a higher position." He said those words with doubt in his voice.

"Do you mean like you?" Brine felt her breathing fast. She could not believe that her suspicions were right. Fili felt something for Zirb and he saw her as a mere opponent in the conquer of her heart. That thought made her own heart shattered and she ran away to the forest while Fili called her false name in the distance.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you for your support guest and thank you for the others that fav and follow my story. I hope you enjoy this new chapter. See you in a week!**

* * *

Brine walked to the deep of the forest until she could not hear Fili's voice. She was mad at him. He could not like Zirb. He did not know her well and it was not a dwarf girl. She was deep in her thoughts that she did not hear the voices coming near her.

"I'm glad that you are fine." It was Thorin's voice. Brine hide behind a tree and watched the scene.

"I'm sorry, my lord. I did not know they would catch me." Zirb said as she looked down to her hands in her stomach.

"But you manage to escape." Brine could see Thorin smiling. She did not believe that he could even know how to do it. Brine saw as he caressed her cheek. "But I don't want to put you in danger again." The smiled disappeared. Brine could not take her eyes off them.

"You were not supposed to know it." Fili's voice sounded next to her. Brine startled.

"What do you mean?" Brine asked and Fili pointed to the couple again. Zirb was saying something that they did not hear. "Is he kind of interest in her?"

"Something like that." Fili looked at her with upset eyes. "Do you understand what I have told you before?" Brine stood silent for a moment.

"What are his intentions with her?" Brine looked hard at Thorin.

"He has no intentions," Fili answered and met Brine's eyes for the first time in the morning. "He can't be with her."

"Care to explain it?"

"He is the King under the mountain. He cannot be with someone like her. Even if it is what he wants more."

"All because she is a maid?" Brine said loudly and Fili put his hand on her mouth, silenced her.

"Because she is from the race of the men." Fili sounded angry. It was when Brine understood everything. She looked again at the couple. Thorin was caressing Zirb hands and kissed lightly her forehead.

"Have they met before?" They seemed so close that it could not be possible they had met a day ago.

"I have heard stories about how Thorin met a young girl in a forest near the Iron Hills. She was only a child but Thorin knew then that he had given her his heart. The stories said that he looked for her for so long, caring and loving her till the end of his days."

"You should be more critic with those stories." Thorin deep voice sounded behind them. Brine and Fili turned to him and found his cold blue eyes fixed on them. "You two disappointed me. Hearing others conversation..."

"Uncle I-" Fili began to say but Thorin interrupted her.

"Thorin, Fili!" Kili came running to them. "We have found the orcs' cave!" He announced. "This way!" He shouted and ran guiding them to the place. Brine followed them but Zirb stopped her.

"If you don't mind, I would like to talk to you." She asked.

"Don't worry Zirb." Brine answered but Zirb insisted that she owed her an explanation. "It's okay, really. I know everything." Zirb did not seem convinced but stopped insisting.

* * *

Brine and Zirb joined the crew with a putrified smell. They both complained about it and yelped when they saw some dead bodies half-eaten by the worms.

"Look at everything they had here," Bofur said as he kicked a little chest with gold coins. He called the others and buried it. Brine looked at them with curiosity. "You can say it is a future inversion." He said. Brine laughed and nodded as she kept looking around the cave. She found some necklace with some jade hanging from it. Brine took it in her hands.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Bilbo asked. "I think it might be the necklace of a queen." Brine smiled at the innocent of Bilbo.

"It is an elvish necklace. Not the necklace of a queen but maybe the necklace of a lady court." Bilbo seemed a bit disappointed.

"How do you know so much about elvish things?"

"I don't know. It is something that seemed to be buried in my mind." She confessed. It was something that Brine always had in her mind and she was dying to know the reason for it. Brine returned from her thoughts as she heard Gandalf approach Bilbo and lay something on him. They both looked at him with interest. It was a small sword whose blade lit up in the presence of Orcs. "Impressive." Brine murmured without taking her eyes off it.

"Not as impressive as this," Fili replied as he raised a large axe with unknown engravings on its edges. "Surely it would belong to some ancient dynasty, wouldn't it, Bifur?" Fili smiled at the old dwarf who answered in the ancient language of the dwarves.

"What does it say?" Brine asked as she ran her finger through the runes. "Ouch." She complained and a trickle of blood began to flow from her finger. "It's sharp."

"Surely the orcs have been keeping it all this time. It's not an easy weapon to use, you know?" Kili joined in the conversation. "I found this for you." He handed Brine another sword much thinner than Bilbo's. "You're getting better at fencing so you can get your own weapon." Kili smiled. Brine nodded as she held it by the hilt.

"It's quite light." She commented as she held it up in front of her.

"It was probably a child's sword, but in your case, it might work." Kili laughed. "Oh, I want you to have this, too. I may need them later. Mine is wearing out faster than I expected." Brine took several bows that Kili had in his hands, as well as arrows.

"Will you ever teach me how to use it?" It was something Brine had always been curious about. She saw the movements of the archers' so agile and synchronised.

"Maybe," Kili replied.

"First learn how to use the sword and then you'll move on to the bow." Said Fili in an older brotherly tone. He messed Brine's hair and walked out of the cave where everyone was waiting.

Thorin and Gandalf were talking about their weapons. The rest were trying to remember the place of the cave for the future. However, everyone went silent when they heard some noise approaching them. Brine looked at Zirb, who was behind Thorin. She felt relieved about him protecting her. She also noticed Bilbo's sword.

"Isn't it working?" She asked worriedly.

"I don't know!" He answered and everyone prepared themselves for the fight. Gandalf walked first and met a strange man.

"Radagast!" Gandalf greeted him. "You have scared us, my friend." He laughed and patted his back. The strange man seemed to be in a hurried and Gandalf offered him his pipe to help him relax. It worked after some minutes.

"Something is wrong, Gandalf. Something is wrong in the forest. I feel something wrong with it. Like a strange presence that it is poisoning everything there." Gandalf looked at him confused. "I think there is a necromancer doing strange magic in Dol Guldur."

"That is nonsense!" Gandalf complained and began an argument with his old friend. Thorin joined the argument too. Everyone was waiting for them to finish when someone noises were heard again.

"What is that?" Brine asked worriedly.

"Orcs!" Kili answered as he stretched his bow and looked around. Brine threw a quick look at Bilbo's sword. This time it was shining in a deep blue.

"Run," Radagast shouted at Gandalf and the rest of the company. "I'll take care of it."

"Radagast, don't talk nonsense. They're Moria's orcs. You'll never get away." Gandalf sounded desperate.

"And these are rabbits from the green forest. Let them try it if they want." Radagast sounded convinced. Gandalf looked slowly at his friend before he ran away. The company soon followed him. Brine looked at that peculiar man for the last time, wishing his plan would work.

* * *

What happened next was somewhat accelerated. The company went out to some plains and started running, running away from the orcs. Radagast left. seconds later, with his cart pulled by rabbits and followed by orcs mounted on top of wargs. Gandalf was in the lead, leading the dwarves across the plain. Thorin kept asking about the fate to which the magician guided them, however, he received no answer from him.

There was a time when everyone feared for their lives. They were hidden behind a stone wall while an orc guarded the area. At a signal from Thorin, Kili tightened his bow and nailed an arrow into his skull. The orc fell slowly with the howling of its orc. Dwalin finished the job. However, this attracted the attention of more orcs running to the place. Brine ordered Gandalf to find a solution quickly. Gandalf looked at her and nodded. He soon found a dark grotto by which he ordered all the dwarves to descend.

"Where are we, Gandalf?" Dwalin asked in a bad mood. Gandalf looked at all the members until he finally answered.

"Gentlemen, welcome to Rivendell," Gandalf announced. Thorin took a hard look at him as he muttered something in the ancient dwarf language.

"Rivendell?" Kili asked Fili.

"An elf territory." Brine answered quickly as she followed the dwarves through the dark grotto.

* * *

They soon arrived at a paradise of arches, trees and waterfalls. Rivendell was characterized by its golden colours and the sweet music that floated in the air. Brine could smell the quiet of the place. A peace of mind that quickly vanished. In the blink of an eye, the dwarves were surrounded by elvish soldiers.

The dwarves raised their weapons. Brine joined them and slowly examined their armour and horses. Everything seemed surrounded by a special magic touch. The circle opened at the moment when an elf with more sophisticated armour entered and approached the company.

"Gandalf." The elf smiled taking off his helmet. His long dark hair fell on his shoulders. Brine looked intrigued. She had not seen an elf for many years.

"Lord Elrond." Gandalf returned the greeting, tilting his head slightly. "I was wondering why you hadn't come out to meet us." Gandalf smiled.

"There was a group of orcs dwelling on the borders of my kingdom," Elrond responded and returned a complicit smile while indicating that he should accompany him to dinner.

* * *

The dinner was divided into two groups. On the one hand, Gandalf, Thorin and Zirb accompanied Elrond at a presidential table. The rest of the company sat at a table farther away.

"Why don't we all sit together like Lady Zirb?" Ori asked.

"Ori, Lady Zirb is Thorin's guest. You can't compare yourself to her." Dori answered in all parental.

Brine watched the couple in the distance. The exchange of glances made clear the presence of feelings between them. For a moment she wondered if there would be any chance that those two would end together. She looked sideways at Fili and wondered if he could give her an answer.

"Well, guys, what are those long faces for?" Bofur laughed as he stood on the table and began to pound it with his foot marking a peculiar rhythm. "There's an inn of old renown/.../Where they brew a beer so brown/.../Moon came rolling down the hill/.../One Hevnsday night to drink his fill." He sang. Kili laughed and joined him.

"On a three-stringed fiddle there/.../Played the Ostler's cat so fair/.../The hornèd Cow that night was seen/.../To dance a jig upon the green." Some dwarves joined them dancing.

"Called by the fiddle to the/.../Middle of the muddle where the/.../Cow with a caper sent the/.../Small dog squealing/.../Moon in a fuddle went to/.../Huddle by the griddle but he/.../Slipped in a puddle and the/.../World went reeling." Bofur answered Kili and took some of the elves instruments to play the rhythm.

"Downsides went up- hey!/.../Outsides went wide/.../As the fiddle/.../Played a twiddle/.../And the Moon slept till Sterrenday/.../Upsides went west- hey!/.../Broadsides went boom/.../With a twiddle on the fiddle/.../In the middle by the griddle/.../And the Moon slept till Sterrenday." Kili and Bofur sang together. Brine felt as she played the rhythm with her feet too.

Bofur jumped and danced among the dwarves that were starting to join him.

"Dish from off the dresser pranced/.../Found a spoon and gaily danced." Brine could not help it and danced with the others as she laughed. For the first time in forever, she was enjoying the dance.

"Horses neighed and champed their bits/.../For the bloodshot Moon had lost his wits." Brine was surprised to hear Fili singing too. He walked to Brine and danced with her laughing.

"Well, cow jumped over, Dog barked wild/.../Moon lay prone and sweetly smiled." Kili answered his brother and joined Brine and him too. Fili whispered something in Brine's ear.

"Ostler cried, 'Play faster, Cat!'" Brine shouted and clapped her hands with him. He took her arm and spun her. "Because we all want to dance like that." They sang together. Fili kept dancing with Brine. She could notice the elves' eyes fixed on them. Zirb was smiling and clapping like Gandalf. Thorin had a shy smile too but not as bigger as the others. Brine came back from her thoughts when Fili took her in his arms. He was embracing her waist too high. She felt his hand caressing the side of her breast lightly. Brine pushed him hard and looked at her confused. Did he felt something? She could not risk Fili discovering the truth and telling Thorin everything. It could be her end.


	7. Chapter 7

Brine felt the water relax her muscles and thoughts. The encounter with Fili had left her nervous and dusty. Would he had discovered her? She wished she could read the dwarf's mind to find out if her identity was in danger or not. She dipped her head in the cold lake of Rivendell. The cold helped her to think calmly. She held her breath as much as she could until she noticed how something touched her body. She stifled a scream underwater and quickly surfaced. The water was calm, illuminated by the moonlight. Around only the owls' hoot was heard. Brine's green eyes scanned all around trying to locate what had touched her. She heard something move in the water just behind her. She turned quickly and found a pair of blue eyes fixed on her. Brine muttered his name. Fili approached her slowly without saying a word. Brine noticed how his hands circled her bare waist. As a reflection, she put her hands on his chest and it was when she realized that they were both naked. Brine's head was spinning thousands of times but she was unable to give any word. She felt like she was drowning slowly and the fact that Fili was getting closer didn't help.

* * *

Brine woke with agitated breathing and a sweaty back. Had everything been a simple dream? She looked around and saw the rest of the company sleeping with her in the great hall that Elrond had offered them. Fili was a few sacks to Brine's left. His breathing accompanied by being deeply asleep. Brine tried to go back to sleep but it was useless. The dream had completely abandoned her. Desperate, she decided to take a walk through those dark, endless and magical halls.

For Brine, those halls hid old stories of won battles, stories of old kingdoms and old loves. Amazed, she let her little bare feet caress the cold stone and let her eyes devour the sculptures that constantly watched over them.

"I know who you are." A sweet voice echoed in her head. Brine turned and found herself lonely. "Those eyes ... I've seen them before. A long time ago." The voice whispered.

"Who are you?" Brine asked out loud in a random direction.

"They are the same as hers." Brine turned completely in the direction of that voice. This time she met someone. It was a woman surrounded by a light of her own that conveyed a state of tranquillity and fear. Brine watched as the woman walked towards her slowly. When she was a few steps away from her it was when she could appreciate her features. It was an elven woman with her long blonde hair falling down her back like a golden waterfall. Brine looked at her rapt. "My name is Galadriel." The elf looked at her with a smile. "Mithrandir." She called someone. Brine turned and met Gandalf's aged gaze. Her face paled. "Calm down, Brine, he can't hear us." Brine heard the elf's voice again but her lips did not move.

"How do you know my name? Brine thought, checking if she could hear her too.

"How could I not know the name of my sister's daughter?" Brine froze. She knew her mother was an elf, but she did not expect to meet part of that elven family. Galadriel's glacial gaze shifted from Brine to Gandalf.

* * *

Brine arrived at a kind of stone gazebo with a large round table in the centre. She had not talked to Galadriel again in all the way. She just walked behind her and Gandalf, being careful not to step on the tail of her dress. Galadriel's words echoed in her head. She had said that it was her sister's daughter, which made Brine her niece. Upon arriving at the viewpoint, Gandalf offered her a seat that she took without delay.

"You were right, Mithrandir. She hasn't made her choice yet." This time the lady did not speak in Brine's head, but loudly for both of them to hear.

"Did you know who I was from the beginning?" Brine turned to the wizard with eyes wide. She thought she had managed to hide from everyone.

"I have lived many years and I have been able to see many faces throughout these, but there is something that always remains unique. Those eyes only remembered seeing them once. She was the future heiress of the Lothlorien forest. With a promising future, it was in every man's and elf's mind."

"As a future heiress, it was normal to have her whole life organized." Galadriel interrupted the wizard. "However, there was something no one expected. One day a dwarf appeared lost in the forest. We were all surprised. We weren't used to seeing such creatures in our kingdom."

"The two were curious about each other. They dedicated themselves to observe themselves during the day and night until slowly love was replacing that curiosity." Gandalf cast a shy look at Galadriel, who smiled as he nodded slightly.

"That sudden love made her have to make a decision. Either she followed her duties as a future queen, or she followed what her heart screamed and wanted." Galadriel continued. "I think you can guess what her choice was. She left her family and fled with him to his home. However, their love did not last long, because after two years he was mortally wounded in the battle of Moria. She could not with the pain of loneliness." With a look from Gandalf, Galadriel shut up.

Brine looked with glassy eyes to infinity. It was the first time she had heard her parents' story and she did not think it was so sad.

"What did you mean about my choice?" She asked suddenly.

"You carry elven blood in your veins, little girl," Galadriel replied.

"And dwarf blood as well," Gandalf added.

"You don't belong to any kingdom yet. You're still very young. But." Galadriel approached her slowly. "You still have time to do it. However, don't trust that time is eternal." The lady put her hand inside the sleeve of her dress, taking out a small pendant that turned with a kind of gear. "When the countdown is over, your time will be over."

"And what will happen then?" Brine's voice was empty. Galadriel and Gandalf exchanged a look before answering the question.

* * *

Brine sat on a stone wall with her feet hanging in the void. She had left the gazebo after hearing all she needed to hear about her choice. The medallion of time Galadriel had given her circled between her fingers. Her words echoing in her head.

* * *

"At last I find you." Brine turned and found Bilbo a few steps away from her. She invited him to join her on the wall, but Bilbo shook his head. "I'm better off here with my feet on the ground." Brine laughed and looked up at the mountains far from the kingdom. "I have been surprised not to see you with the others at the fountain," Bilbo confessed. Brine glanced absent-mindedly at the group of dwarves playing splash in one of the fountains in Elrond's garden.

"I find no fun in it." Brine lied with a sad smile. In the distance she saw a tower of dwarves fall into the water, making a great fuss.

"You're different, Pip." Bilbo put his hand on her shoulder. "I thought all you dwarves were rough, tough and rather careless, but you..." Brine glanced at him, hoping he would continue. "It's as if you're not a dwarf. You act in a polite and proper way..." Brine didn't know what to say to him. Of course, she was different from the other dwarves, she always had been. That's why she was often not accepted by them. But she wouldn't be accepted by the elves either. As Galadriel had said, she hadn't made her choice yet. What would be the right one?

"Pip! We've been looking for you!" Some voices cried out behind the Hobbit and the Dwarf. Brine would not turn around until she was sure her face would not show the confusion of her mind. "We need your help." It was Kili's voice in a funny tone. "We've had a little accident and..." When she heard that, Brine turned around completely. "Fili doesn't stop bleeding from his shoulder." Brine laid her eyes on Fili, who was holding his hand up to his shoulder to prevent more blood from coming out.

"What happened?" Brine's voice sounded hysterical. She ran to his side and sat him down so she could see the wound better. "Bilbo, quick, I need a needle and thread." Bilbo followed Brine's orders and soon returned with a small sewing kit. Brine took it quickly and began to close Fili's wound while he kept complaining. "Can't you hold on a little longer?" She scolded him by staring into his eyes. Fili mumbled his apologies and let Brine finish her work. After a few minutes, the wound was completely closed. "You'll have a small scar." She said as she ran her hand over Fili's shoulder. She couldn't help but appreciate the shape of his muscles and how they stick out. Brine wondered if everything would be as she had dreamed. Trying to be as discreet as possible, she looked below Fili's waist, blushing that he was completely naked. She quickly averted her eyes, but her curiosity caused her to take a second look. She gasped as she saw how reality was better than her imagination.

Once she had completed her examination of Fili's body, she slowly stepped away from him. As she looked up she saw how his blue eyes were still fixed on her.

"Kili, Bilbo, I need to talk to Pip for a moment." Fili looked seriously at Brine. She feared the worst. With pleading eyes, Brine asked Bilbo to stay, but Fili's orders were above her own.

"Fili, I have to explain to you..." She began to say as she swallowed the saliva that accumulated in her mouth.

"You don't have to explain anything to me. I understand how you feel, Pip. I've met people like you before and I know how miserable they are. Repressed and having to pretend they're something they're not." Fili interrupted Brine, who stared at him with eyes like dishes.

"Do you understand me?" Brine feared the worst. Was Fili confessing that he wasn't exactly attracted to girls?

"Of course I do. But you must understand that I don't feel that way. I can't take that same interest in you." Brine breathed a sigh of relief. "But don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." He smiled sweetly. Brine smiled back at him relief about the fact that Fili was interested in girls, and about the thing that he had not discovered her yet. They both walked together to the great salon where Bilbo and a dressed Kili played some cards game. Fili took his coat and covered himself as he joined them and invited Brine to do the same. Brine thought about her choice. Maybe the dwarfs would accept her after all. Maybe the mean ones lived only in the Blue Mountains. She could not help but smile as she had some fun with her new friends.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for no update last week, but we are living a very stressful situation and I could not write the chapter. I'm sorry. Hope you enjoy it.**

Brine woke up to notice how someone shook her. When she opened her eyes she met Bilbo, who carried his loaded bag behind his back.

"Where the hell are you going?" Brine looked at him suspiciously. Was he trying to run away from there? Was he going to abandon the company to its fate in reconquering Erebor?

"Thorin says we must go our way." Brine felt a little relieved. After all, Bilbo was not going to abandon them. With Bilbo's help, she stood up and began to collect her things. She soon left everything ready. Bilbo guided her to where the others were. Everyone was around Thorin, who was instructing the way forward and the precaution they should have. Brine looked around and realized that neither Gandalf nor Zirb was there. Thorin had finished giving the instructions and had begun to walk outside Elrond's territory. Brine did not think twice and ran to catch him up before he went on even further.

"We are not all!" Brine exclaimed as she pulled on Thorin's coat. The dwarf looked at her before turning his gaze back to the squad behind him. "Don't you dare talk to me like that again in front of everyone." Thorin's look was cold. Brine did not advert her eyes from him.

"Where are Gandalf and Zirb?" She asked. She could see by the corner of her eye Fili muttering something to her. "Where are they?" She asked again. Thorin faced her.

"Gandalf will join us later." Brine did not know why but she did not trust at all Thorin's words about Gandalf. "And about lady Zirb." He emphasized the 'lady'. "It is better for her to rest here until tomorrow when she will go back to her home." Brine did not say a word. "It is everything okay for you, Pip?" Brine did not answer. She just stood there looking coldly at him. She did not like the idea of leaving Zirb behind. About Gandalf, maybe it was the best for her so her secret would be still a secret. Thorin began walking again passing Brine and everyone followed him. As they passed in front of her, they looked sadly at her and tried to comfort her.

"Come on big boy, we have to talk," Fili said as he pushed Brine and made her walk with him. Most of the road it was Fili who talked. He told her Brine that she should not worry about Zirb. "She is very friendly, I know, but you cannot argue with Thorin like that because of her." Brine did not pay much attention to him.

"Only if you know the truth..." She muttered low enough so none listened to her. She walked faster and left Fili behind. For the first time in weeks, she did not feel like to be with him. She needed to be alone with her thoughts.

They walked during hours until the reached a mountain port. A great storm began there and water got to Brine's bones. She was trying to heat herself but it was useless. Suddenly, she heard someone shouting behind her.

"A giants' fight!" Balin exclaimed pointing to a bunch of rocks that moved slowly. Brine looked surprised at the direction he was pointing. She had never seen such a fascinating show. Brine was so absorbed in the slow movements of the giants that she did not see how a piece of mountain fell off the wall. The ground began to shake. It was not a simple detachment.

"We are on one of them!" Kili yelled. At that moment they saw a gap open halfway and part of the company began to separate. Brine and Kili were at one end with Bilbo and Dwalin, while the rest were at the other half. Fili called them but they were both paralyzed. Brine grabbed Kili's arm. She felt fear grow inside her. An instant later, Fili's side collided with them. At that moment, darkness surrounded Brine. When she opened her eyes the rain was still falling on her and Fili was holding her head while calling her.

"Pip!"

"I'm fine." Brine replied quickly. With Fili's help, she got up. "Are you all okay?" She asked in anguish as she looked around. "Where's Bilbo?" She asked scared not seeing the hobbit. Brine started calling him the same as everyone else. It was Thorin who found him hanging from the mountain ledge. "Bilbo!" Brine called him scared and rushed to his aid. She was lucky that Bofur was nearby and was able to grab her when part of the ground started to come loose. Her heart was beating a thousand an hour. She was immobile, held by Bofur, who pulled her towards a grotto where the company had decided to take refuge until it was all over.

Fili and Kili sat next to Brine with a bowl full of hot broth that Bombur had prepared. Brine took it with trembling hands and began to drink it, wishing the heat and fear would go away, allowing her to rest that night. Although it resisted, that long-awaited rest was not long in coming and Brine was plunged into dense darkness from which she woke up a few hours later, although for her it seemed only seconds.

She was awakened by the noise of the dwarves moving rapidly in their sacks. Thorin started ordering them to get out of there but it did not do much good. The abrupt movement of each member of the company caused the ground to detach and the dwarves to fall into an unknown void. The last one fell on top of a platoon.

"Ouch!" Fili exclaimed. Brine felt the dwarf move beneath her, lifting her up without much trouble. "Good thing you are thin," I growl in his ear.

Brine blushed as she put her feet on a sort of platform that had stopped the fall. At that moment some inhuman shrieks were coming.

"What is that?" Brine asked as she covered her ears with her hands. Bilbo imitated her as he peeked out with her on the side of the platform. They seemed to be above an underground city, where strange shapes ran to and from across brittle bridges. The shapes were getting closer and closer to the platform.

"Goblins!" Dwalin shouted, trying to grab his axe. Yet no one had their weapons. They had stayed in the grotto with the rest of the supplies. At that point, the dwarves decided to use their own bodies as weapons and shields. They had little use for them. It didn't take the goblins long to catch them and take them all with them. All except Brine and Bilbo, who had managed to go unnoticed.

Brine looked at the hobbit, wondering what they could do to save Thorin and his company. They set out to follow at a safe distance, but a goblin turned back to them.

"Bilbo!" Brine picked up her little sword and held it up, making a signal to Bilbo who understood it at once. Bilbo picked up his sword, which shone bright blue. The two began to fight the goblin with the best possible co-ordination, but the goblin was a good fighter and ended up throwing Brine off the side of the platform. Luckily for Brine, the training with Fili had achieved more than just improved her swordplay. Brine's reflexes had sharpened and that had allowed her to grab onto a ledge. With all the strength she could, she tried to get back to the platform while shouting at Bilbo to help her. After a while, Bilbo's curly head came out.

"Pip!" Bilbo cried as he bent down to help Brine. He needed to bend down a little more to reach her hand. "Just a little longer," he muttered. At that moment, Brine saw the goblin rise up behind Bilbo.

"Behind you!" Brine shouted with a horrified look. Bilbo turned too slowly and the goblin was already on him, trying to throw him off the platform. Despite the struggle with the creature, Bilbo eventually fell off the platform but carried the goblin with him. The two of them hit Brine, who fell to a shuddering halt.

* * *

Brine opened her eyes to the cold stone on her face. Bilbo's sword was a few palms from her, its blue glow slowly fading. Her green eyes fixed on the creature that had fallen with them, and which in that instant stopped convulsing. Bilbo awoke in that instant.

"Where are we?" He asked as he got up. Brine followed him.

"I have no idea." Replied Brine, shaking off the dust. "But we'd better get out of here as soon as possible. We've got to help the company." Brine started to walk down a dark corridor as she continued to talk to Bilbo but stopped when she didn't hear him. "Bilbo?" Worried, she started to run while she looked for him.

"I'm here," Bilbo said beside her. Brine looked at him in puzzlement.

"Don't ever leave my side again." She said coldly. Bilbo smiled and walked back to her.

Brine and Bilbo walked for hours until they finally reached an underground lake where they decided to rest until they could resume their expedition. Brine was exhausted and dipped her hands into the shore to wet her face. A reflection caught her attention, but when she looked up she saw absolutely nothing.

"We should move." Brine said turning to Bilbo just as a creature jumped out at them. Brine could not silence the scream in her throat. It was a dark creature with big eyes and a mouth with sharp teeth.

"What is it, my precious? What is it?" The creature asked. Bilbo and Brine looked at each other before focusing on the creature again. Its large, glowing eyes fixed on them curiously.

"I am Bilbo Baggins."

"Baggins? What is a Baggins?"

"He's a Hobbit." Brine replied, thinking the creature was only curious about them. The creature approached and began to lick its mouth as it assessed them with its eyes. "Could you show us the way out?"

"Of course we could! We know safe paths for hobbits." It exclaimed cheerfully. Brine looked at Bilbo with relief. They had been alarmed at nothing, after all. "Shut up!"

"We have said nothing." Replied Bilbo in surprise.

"We weren't talking to you." The creature said again as he hid behind a large rock. It was a while before Brine and Bilbo wondered what was happening until the creature's head came out of the rock. Bilbo wondered what kind of game the creature was playing, which made the creature excited and proposed a game to them.

"A game?" Brine asked incredulously. The creature explained the type of game. Riddles. If they won, he would tell them where the exit was, if they lost they would be eaten. Brine lost her colour. How would they be able to get out of there? The fight began tense, but Brine realized it was something the hobbit was not bad at. The riddles were getting harder and harder and there was a moment when Brine thought all was lost. However, Bilbo surprised her again.

"On my signal, run away from here." He whispered as he pretended to think of a riddle. For the first time, Brine did not question him and nodded slightly. "What have I got in my pocket?" He asked, as he put his fingers in his little vest pocket and motioned for Brine to come out just when the creature was not looking. With a sly look, Brine began to walk out of the lake into the nearest corridor. Once inside, she started running towards where her intuition was guiding her.

* * *

It wasn't long before she found her way out of a hill. Once outside, she allowed herself to stop and get some air. She felt the taste of her own blood in her mouth and gagged. A murmur came towards her. Brine ran behind a tree and prepared to run away from whatever was coming but the weight on her shoulders disappeared when she saw Thorin's company.

"Fili!" She shouted when she saw the young dwarf appear. His worried look met Brine's and a flash of relief passed through his blue eyes. Brine didn't think twice and ran out to him ready to fall into his arms. At the last moment, she decided that it was not the right thing to do so she just hit him on the back as a greeting, but to Brine's surprise, it was Fili who embraced her.

"Pip! I thought we'd lost you." He murmured against her hair. "How did you get here?"

"It's a long story." Brine smiled as she enjoyed the warmth of Fili's arms.

"Where's Bilbo?" Fili turned away from her and looked at her worriedly. Brine did not know what to say. At that moment, Bilbo's voice rang out in the distance, coming towards them.

"I am here." Bilbo smiled as he put his hand in his pocket. Brine wondered how he had escaped from that strange creature. Would he have killed him? Bilbo linked his eyes with her.

Gandalf rushed towards them as he led the rest of the company.

"We are not safe yet!" The wizard cried. In the distance, there was the howling of dire wolves.

"Orcs?" Brine asked worriedly as they ran in the direction Gandalf was pointing. They came to a dead end where the road ended in a cliff. "What shall we do?" Brine began to panic. They couldn't turn back and they couldn't go on either.

"To the trees!" shouted Thorin as he climbed up to the high branches of one. All the members of the company began to imitate him. Brine helped Bilbo up. Fili was a few branches above and participated in the help as well. It was Brine's turn but the dwarf was barely strong enough.

"Pip!" It was Fili's voice. He had dropped a couple of branches, just enough to hang on to one and grab Brine. The dwarf's strength kept surprising Brine, though she was uncomfortable with the fact that his hands were on her waist. He was almost at the top of a branch when something forced her down, knocking them both to the ground. Fili howled in pain. He had dislocated his shoulder. Brine felt her ankle burn but the pressure was still on her leg. A dire wolf had hooked her and was dragging her into a clearing where a large orc was waiting. Fili cried her name and tried to run to her but it was useless as a pair of orcs blocked him.

"I told you to bring the boy." The orc cried out to the dire wolf as he kicked it. He walked disinterestedly to Brine and grabbed her by the hair as he placed her in Thorin's sight. Brine was unable to understand what the orc was saying. Her greatest concern was whether Thorin or any one of the company would risk saving her. Tears began to fall down her cheeks as a tremor began to grow inside her. She watched as Thorin descended from his branch and walked toward them with his sword raised. The next thing the orc did was to throw Brine, causing her to hit her head on one of the trees. Everything went black for Brine.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you for your review guest. I was scared something might have happened to you. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Love!**

Brine was awakened by a strange rattling sound that made her body vibrate. She slowly turned her head while holding a whimper. Bilbo's silhouette was beside him. Their eyes met briefly. Brine saw Bilbo's lips moving, but the pain in his head was so great that he could not resist it any longer, and he gave way to the darkness that had been with him for too long, in his opinion.

When she opened her eyes again it was night. She was inside a cave, and the heat of the fire was reaching her from some distance away. She stood up slightly.

"Gandalf?" The wizard was sitting beside her with his eyes closed and smoking his pipe. When he heard her voice he turned towards her and smiled.

"I hope you have rested." Brine smiled and nodded slightly. "The wound on your leg." She began to say Gandalf but did not go on. It was not necessary. Brine looked at it and saw something dark spreading through it. "I've only been able to hold the infection, but I can't cure it." Brine looked away.

"Thank you for everything."

"I've done nothing compared to what you've done." At that moment Phil entered the cave. "Fili!" Gandalf greeted the dwarf and invited him to join him. Fili came up to them with a serious look on his face. When he saw Brine with her eyes open, her face relaxed although the seriousness did not leave him. "Fili has been looking out for you all this time," said Gandalf as he stood up and gently tapped Fili's back and walked out to take some of the broth that Bombur had prepared.

"Thank you very much, Fili." Brine smiled. A strange feeling came over him as he knew that he had been worried and looking out for her. Fili just nodded without saying a word. "I promise to take you these days in return." Brine joked as she winked at Fili. The dwarf's response was to look towards the exit of the cave.

"Who are you?" Fili asked seriously after a while. Brine didn't answer. "Who are you?" Fili repeated again.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Fortunately for Brine, his false beard hid the pallor of his face.

"I know you're Pip." Said Philli with a dark shadow in his eyes. That was enough to confirm what Brine feared most. Fili knew her secret. Brine stared at him.

"Fili, please. It's not what you think." Anyone could know what was going on in Philli's mind. Brine knew him well. He stood up and walked towards him, falling down in his attempt. Her eyes met his.

"You have to tell him the truth, Pip," Fili said his name with contempt as he got up to leave the cave. "Or I will."

Brine got up as best she could and followed him slowly as she shouted for him to wait. Fili ignored her and walked away from her and the group. Frustrated, Brine sat on a nearby rock while she drowned out a scream in her throat.

* * *

Brine waited until everyone was awake and eating breakfast to go out and join them. Her limp was milder although she was still not fully recovered. As she got closer to the group, she began to receive greetings from all the members of the company. From all but Fili, whose blue eyes were set hard on her. Brine gave her a look of regret, but Fili kept throwing her towards Thorin. She had to do it before he did.

"I need to tell you something." Brine said. The whole group fell silent.

"Tell us, boy." Said Balin.

"Yes, Pip. Are you all right?" Kili asked.

"About that." Once again, Brine looked at Fili, wishing he'd changed his mind. Fili had an upright posture and, like the others, he waited to hear what she had to say. Brine sighed and began to tremble. "My name is Brine." She said as she shed her false beard. The dwarves watched her paralyzed. It was Thorin who stood up and faced her.

"Who the hell are you?" Thorin's tone was harsh and cruel.

"I am the future queen of the Blue mountains." Brine stepped forward to answer Thorin before he asked his next question. "I only intend to help you. Please believe me." Brine exclaimed. "My father fought beside your grandfather at the Battle of Moria." Thorin stirred within himself as he ordered the group to gather their things. Without saying anything, Brine began to help the dwarves but Thorin turned to her.

"You stay here."

"You can't do that to me! I've come too far with you. Let me stay until the end." Brine shouted as she chased Thorin through the camp.

"Why? So you can steal my treasure? So you can lead the revolution against my people?"

"I swear to you on my honour and on my family's honour, Thorin OakenShield, that I will serve you like no other. My people will never revolt against yours." Brine said after a long silence. She knew that for the dwarves there was nothing more important than the honour of a lineage. Thorin held her gaze for a few moments until he decided to end the conversation. Brine watched as the dwarf walked away.

"Understand this." It was Balin. "He has been betrayed by many." Brine nodded as she picked up Balin's bags.

* * *

After several months of expedition, that was the first time that Brine felt alone. She noticed how everyone was looking at her, but no one was saying a word to her.

"Are you a princess?" Brine was surprised to hear Ori behind her. Nori was quick to scold him.

"Take it easy." Brine smiled as she slowed her pace and caught up.

"Of course she's a princess." Kili joined them. "Haven't you seen how beautiful she is?" He smiled. Brine couldn't help but blush.

"And are all dwarf princesses like you?" Ori asked curiously again. A silence fell between them and Brine remembered what she had hidden all that time.

"No, Ori."

"Ori!" exclaimed Kili. "That's not right."

"Whatever. Ori, my mother was an elf, so I'm not like any dwarf."

"But you're still beautiful," Kili muttered.

The dwarves kept talking to Brine until they reached their new stop: The house of a skinwalker. Sometimes Brine looked up from the road and found Fili'scold eyes on her. At first, she had greeted him with a timid gesture, but when she saw that Fili's surly attitude remained, she decided not to make a big deal out of it. Along the way, Brine had time to tell Kili her whole story and why she had decided to join the company.

"So you don't want to rebel against Thorin?" Kili asked as she sat next to Brine.

"Why on earth have you become obsessed with that idea?" Brine asked indignantly. "Of course I don't want to do anything against him." At that moment Fili approached them.

"Kili, Dwalin is looking for you. He says he needs your help." His tone was boring, but his eyes were fixed on Brine.

"With what?" Kili asked without moving.

"With something about burden-sharing." Brine could tell a mile away that Fili was looking for an excuse to get Kili away from her.

"Kili. He's asking you to stay away from me." Brine explained in a bitter tone.

"Don't talk nonsense, Brine. Fili would never say something like that." Kili replied quickly.

"But he does hint at it." Brine murmured, casting a quick glance at Fili to see his harsh gaze on her.

"Fili?"

"You can't trust her, Kili!" Fili exploded at Kili's questioning gaze. "She's been cheating on both of us during this time!"

"Fili! How can you be saying this?" Kili felt hurt and disappointed.

"Listen to me. I'm sick of all your accusations. I told you why I did it. I won't justify myself anymore." Brine confronted Fili by approaching him. She had to raise her face to link her eyes with him, as Fili was a head taller than she was.

"You don't even have to do that." Kili approached them, positioning himself next to Brine.

"Don't you see, Kili? She has elf blood." Fili didn't raise his voice or anything. "Remember how they betrayed our people at the Battle of Moria?" He left the words in the air. Outraged, Brine stood up as she excused herself to Kili. She was quite hurt by the attitude of the dwarves. With much disguise she walked to the outside of the house.

The cold evening breeze blew lightly into her face. She hadn't felt it for months and hadn't realized how much she missed it. She sat down on the cold grass and lost herself in the many stars that adorned the sky that night.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Brine looked down and met Kili. She nodded as she turned her attention back to them. The two of them remained silent for a long time until Kili decided to break it. "I'm sorry about before with Fili."

"I'm used to it." Brine replied. Kili looked at her waiting for an explanation. "It's always been like that, Kili. There have never been any nice words for me. They've always been insults and scorn."

"Brine I" Kili felt very guilty about his big brother's attitude.

"The thing about Fili was nothing compared to the things I've heard about myself." Brine tried to laugh but only got a little smile.

"Brine, I don't want to ask something I should not but... Why are you so interested in helping us get Erebor?" Kili did not take his eyes off her. Brine looked at him for a moment. Should she tell him all about her marriage of convenience? Would Kili be able to understand her? Could he help her find a solution? Brine's head kept spinning and deep down she wished it was not Kili who was asking her, but Fili.


	10. Chapter 10

It was morning, and they all sat down at the skin-changer's table to eat the great breakfast he offered them while he talked to Gandalf about something that Brine was not very interested in. Things had improved a little for her. At least she was no longer so lonely. It was Kili who kept her company and discouraged the inquisitive glances of other dwarves like Gloin's.

"Have you thought about what I said?" Kili asked a little shyly. Brine looked at him for a moment without understanding what he was talking about. "About my proposal to avoid your marriage." It didn't take long for Brine to put her hand in his mouth and shut him up.

"I don't think this is the place to talk about it." Brine whispered looking around to see that no one had heard him. Everyone seemed absorbed in their conversations, but Brine had the feeling that someone's eyes were glued to the back of her head. Kili moved abruptly in annoyance.

"It's okay, but I don't want you to forget about it. I totally meant it and I still mean it."

"Kili, stop. Seriously." Brine was a little upset that Kili saw everything so simply. She was about to explain to him where the flaw in his plan was when Gandalf came in with the skin-changer. The dwarfs shut up their conversations and paid attention to what they were saying.

"You must leave now. There's a herd of orcs around, and something tells me they're following you." He said as he prepared several sacks of food and nectars. "Take the dark forest path, but remember not to leave it."

"The Dark Forest?" Bilbo asked, intruding into the conversation. Gandalf shut him up with a look.

"You may take some of my horses, but you must let them go when you get there." The skin-changer ignored Bilbo's question. "They know the way back." He said as he gave the full sacks to Gandalf.

* * *

It didn't take long for the company to get back on track. The younger ones were on foot, while the older ones were on small horses. Brine thought it was a good time to talk about Kili's proposal.

"Kili, about what you told me..." She began to say as she thought and carefully chose the words she was going to say. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"What? Why?" Kili seemed a little upset by her answer.

"Because it's not what you want." Brine replied with a warm smile as she patted him on the back.

"I want to help you and I'd do anything for you. Isn't that enough?" Kili insisted, but Brine shook her head as she stopped. They had reached the entrance to the forest. All the dwarves left their horses, although some complained about having to return them.

"We'd get faster with them." Gloin protested without letting go of his pony's reins. Gandalf began to argue with him, though with little interest. He paused before entering it, gazing silently into the great thicket of the forest.

"Is it necessary to go that way?" Brine asked as she approached Gandalf. The gloomy aspect did not invite one to go into it. Gandalf looked at her and slowly nodded.

"It is important that you do not go out of the path." The wizard said as he retraced his steps and shouted for his horse to be held.

"What? Aren't you coming with us?" She asked as she tried to follow him.

"There are other matters that require my attention," Gandalf replied. Brine looked at him worriedly. "I promise you we shall meet again." That did not convince Brine, but the wizard did not give her time to reply and galloped off in the opposite direction. Some dwarves began to protest.

"Where is he going?" A voice asked behind him. Brine turned around and met Fili. She thought about whether she should answer him, but decided to keep quiet. Given the events of the last few days, it probably wouldn't be the question for her.

Brine rejoined Kili while waiting for Thorin to give the orders. It was very simple: Don't leave the path for anything in the world. They lined up and walked one after the other. Soon the light was replaced by the darkness. The atmosphere of the forest was heavy and made the dwarves easily distracted. Brine began to sweat and breathe heavily. Kili helped her to maintain the path but there came a time when no one was able to guide her. Everything became confused for Brine. She was wandering around while trying to get back on the road.

"There are dwarves here," Nori said as he picked up a small flask. "Dwarves from Erebor, I'd say." You could hear the agony in his voice, as well as the other dwarves.

"Because it's yours," Brine Complained as she continued to walk around. There came a point when the voices stopped being heard. She turned around and found herself all alone. She surprised herself by screaming Fili's name as she ran backwards looking for him. There was no sign of any dwarf. Brine fell to her knees in despair and worry. "Where are you?" she moaned, closing her eyes.

The movement of branches caught her attention again. As if she had received a new charge of energy, Brine got up and tried to locate the source of the sound. Hidden in the heights was Bilbo dropping large white bags that fell heavily to the ground. The bags began to move and Bilbo shouted at Brine to open them with her sword. Slowly, the dwarves were released. A sense of relief came over her when she finally freed Fili.

"Are you all right?" Brine asked as she helped him up by pulling his hand. Fili looked at her and blinked a couple of times before nodding. The two looked at each other long and hard until Kili appeared beside them.

"Brine!" He exclaimed as he hugged her and looked at her to see if she was all right. "I'd lost you."

"I'm fine, Kili." Brine smiled as she gave Kili a few taps on her arm. Fili looked away and started to walk away from the couple when again there were noises from the branches. Brine located Bilbo, who was on the ground with the other dwarves, with his guard up. In the blink of an eye, they were surrounded by Elven soldiers.

"Drop your weapons." A blond, blue-eyed elf commanded. Everyone obeyed without question. Several soldiers began to make sure the dwarves were completely unarmed.

* * *

The elves took the dwarves to a palace hidden deep in the forest. Surprisingly, Brine didn't see Bilbo in the group. How could he have escaped so quickly?

Brine could barely make out the inside of the place. They were quickly taken to the palace dungeons. The number of dwarves was greater than the number of cells so some had to share them. Brine was going to get into the cell with Kili, but a redheaded elf stopped her.

"Leave this one alone." She said seriously, looking at the two dwarves coldly. The elves who were distributing them nodded and locked Brine in an empty cell that was later filled by Fili. Brine watched them disarm him again while he cursed in the old Dwarf language. He smiled without realizing it. She couldn't believe that he had so many things hidden and could keep moving without a problem. Fili looked at her as he raised his hands in a gesture of resignation and sat down on the side of the small cell. Brine sat in front of him silently. For the first time since Fili discovered her true identity, it was just the two of them. Brine started to bring up different topics of conversation but she was not sure that Fili would follow the conversation.

"Your family?" Brine was surprised to hear Fili's voice. She looked up.

"I hope not." Brine responded with a funny tone, although she tried to hide it as best she could. Silence reigned among them again. Fili kept staring at the cell door, trying to find a weak spot or flaw in its structure that would allow them to escape. Brine could not help but watch him as she thought of how to start a conversation with him. His appearance had nothing to do with what he looked like the first day she met him. He now had a dishevelled image and was covered in the remnants of cobwebs that clung to his hair. "You have something..." Brine muttered as she pointed to her hair. Fili looked at her with a raised eyebrow until he understood what she was talking about. He nodded his head in appreciation as he tried to groom himself.

* * *

More than two hours had passed and Phil and Brine had not spoken again. The voices of the rest of the dwarves fell silent the moment Thorin arrived from his audience with Thranduil. As Balin had predicted at the time, things did not go so well and the hopes of the Dwarves to get out of there vanished like anything else.

The silence that reigned since then was heavy and was only broken by a little chat that could be heard in the distance. Brine peeked through the door of her cell. A few feet away from her was the redheaded elf that had led her away from Kili.

"What's going on?" Fili asked sitting in the same place he had sat at first.

"Kili is talking to an elf." Brine replied as she sat in front of him.

"What?" Fili exclaimed as he stood up and walked to the cell door, shouting Kili's name.

"What are you doing?" Brine asked as she stood beside him. "He's just talking to her."

"He's just talking?" Fili looked at Brine with a confused look. "He has to respect his honour and yours. He can't have that kind of conversation with-"

"My honour?" Brine asked in confusion. "What are you talking about, Fili?"

"You think I don't know about your engagement?" Fili turned to Brine. "I've been watching you and, although I know it's not right, I've heard your conversations."

"Our engagement?" Brine was trying to assimilate what Fili was confessing to her. "You're making a mistake."

"Listen, Pip."

"Brine. My name is Brine." She corrected quickly.

"Sorry, Brine." Fili closed his eyes and breathed a couple of times before he spoke again. "It's clear that our relationship is a complicated thing to save, but if Kili has decided to propose to you it's because he really cares about you. I know he's young, but that doesn't justify what he's doing. She must respect you." Brine looked at Fili as she thought about his confusing words.

"Do you really think it's impossible for us to settle our differences?" Brine tried uselessly to hide the pain in her voice.

"That's not what I meant, Brine." Fili tried to get closer to her but Brine walked away from him.

"But you said it." Fili looked at her in pain. He opened his mouth to say something else but a couple of elves came to take Brine away. King Thranduil had requested an audience with her. Brine looked at Fili before passing by him, trying not to even brush against him. She was really hurt.


	11. Chapter 11

**I would like to thank my perennial fan for its support through its comments, as well as Fair Helen for commenting on the last chapter (I hope to hear from you again hahaha). I encourage the rest of you to follow her example and leave a comment telling me what you think of the chapter and the story so far. I also want to thanks to all of you who have fav and follow the story.**

* * *

"So it's true," Thranduil said from his throne when Brine arrived in front of him. "You are her daughter." Brine looked at him in fear and admiration. His beauty was intoxicating. "I had heard the rumours, but I always wished they were just that, rumours." Brine remained silent at all times. "You finished her off. It is your fault that she is not here anymore."

"My fault?" Brine could not stand those accusations anymore. She also regretted her mother's death and would not let anyone say those things about her. "It was your fault. You left an elf alone. No one went to support her. No one cared how she was or if she needed anything." Brine bitterly spat out those words as childhood memories invaded her mind. The image of her mother crying in her room had never left her. They had always been alone. No one ever showed up at her house. Not even on the day her mother left forever. By then she was just a child who did not understand, but lately, everything was taking on a new meaning and explanation. Both the dwarf village and the elves had abandoned their little family.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Thranduil replied angrily, facing her. Brine could see pain and hatred reflected in the eyes of the Elf King.

"Enough!" A new voice interrupted the conversation. Brine turned and found the blue-eyed, blond-haired elf who had found them in the forest.

"What do you think you're doing?" Thranduil asked.

"That's what I'm asking you. She is not to blame for anything that happened." Brine could not believe that he was defending her and was able to talk to the king like that. The blond man approached her and mumbled something in elvish to the soldiers guarding her. He kept arguing with the king but Brine could not understand anything they were talking about. After a while, the elf took Brine and guided her to the cells.

"Thank you." Brine muttered on the way.

"I did not do it to get you to thank me." The man replied sharply. "It's a personal matter between him and me." Brine looked at him with big eyes waiting for a continuation that did not come. "It's my father." He finally said. "He's been doing the same thing to me for years, blaming me for my mother's death too." He confessed uncomfortably after a silence. "I know how far he's capable of going." A dark shadow crossed his face.

"But why to talk about my mother?" Brine asked as she tried to follow him. "She's just another elf."

"Just another elf?" The elf stopped short and turned to her with a mocking smile. "It was his fiancée." Brine could not hide the surprise in her eyes, which the elf found amusing. "It was the bond that the elf people needed. But a certain dwarf crossed her path and, well." The elf started walking back to the cells. "You'll know that better than I do." Brine was trying to process all the information she had received at one point.

* * *

Brine and the elf soon arrived in their cell, where Fili was waiting.

"May I know your name?" Brine asked before he left.

"Legolas." He answered after a moment of hesitation before retracing his steps in reverse. Brine stared at him disappearing until Fili's voice caught her attention.

"What's happened?" He asked, walking up to her and looking at the elf's back. "Are you all right?" He gave Brine a strange look and she nodded without looking away from Legolas, who had already finished climbing the dungeon stairs. "Who was that?"

"Not again, Fili." Said Brine in a tired tone. She did not have the strength to argue with him again.

* * *

The days passed and the dwarves were still locked up in their cells. Brine and Fili kept talking even though the conversations were very superficial. Legolas had gone a couple of times to check that Brine had not been disturbed again. At first, they were very short visits that became longer then. Brine could tell that Fili was not very happy about it.

"What does he want with you?" Fili asked, upset when Legolas was leaving.

"Keep me company." Brine answered without much interest. "I'm not doing anything dishonourable." She added every time Fili mumbled. "I've already explained that Kili was a misunderstanding on your part." Usually, the conversation died there, but that time Brine could hear something else from him.

"And who said anything about Kili?" Brine tried to dig into it, but Fili did not answer. At that moment, Bilbo's voice echoed in the dungeons. He had managed to reach them with the keys to the cells.

"Bilbo!" Brine shouted with joy at the sight of him. Fili ran beside her to see the little hobbit.

"Not so loud." The hobbit smiled. "You don't want the whole guard to come here, do you?" Brine looked at Fili eagerly. They were finally going to get out of that hole.

"You have to come with me. I know how to get you out of here." Bilbo said as he finished freeing Thorin from his cell. Kili was soon reunited with Fili and Brine, giving her a hug and making sure she was all right.

"She's been well taken care of," Fili mumbled. Brine gave him an angry look and Fili responded with a proud look.

"I have no doubt that since she has been with you." Kili laughed as he patted Fili's back and followed Bilbo through the palace corridors.

* * *

They arrived at the palace kitchen where there was a large pile of empty barrels. Brine was startled to see several elves but fortunately for the dwarves, they were so drunk that they did not notice the noise they were making. Bilbo began to rush the dwarves to the barrels, asking them to go in. Many of them like Dwalin complained, but one look from Thorin was enough to make the complaints go away and be obeyed.

"Pip. I mean Brine. Help me get them up." Bilbo said. Brine nodded and began to push Ori and Gloin. It did not take long for them all to be inside. "And now you." Bilbo began to say, but a few hasty steps interrupted him. Bilbo looked at Brine and the dwarves. There was no time to locate Brine. "I'm sorry," Bilbo said looking regretfully at Brine as he grabbed a sort of lever. "Be ready to hold your breath." He announced as he counted down quickly and pulled the lever. Without giving her time to react, Brine began to see the barrels fall through a trap door and she beside them, into a sort of stream.

The dwarves began to fall down the stream while Brine kept trying to avoid them with difficulty. Ori hit her on the shoulder, causing a howl of pain to escape from her mouth. Kili tried to grab her to help her, but they were too far away and he almost rolled over. Brine continued to struggle to stay afloat and keep dodging the rest of the barrels. The journey began to get more complicated as some jumps appeared. On the other hand, the elves began to catch up with them, but they were not the only ones. On the opposite bank were a group of orcs trying to hunt them down as well.

"What are you supposed doing?" Brine looked up and met Legolas' cold blue eyes. He was running beside her as he protected her from the orcs on the other side. "I thought you were different from them."

"It wasn't my plan!" Brine exclaimed, distracting herself for a moment and crashing into a rock, injuring her arm which began to bleed quickly. Legolas tried to get closer to her, but the current was stronger. "But, Did you expect me to stay there and take your father's scorn for who I am?" Brine asked without ever turning her attention away from the stream.

"I could have helped you," Legolas replied angrily as he reached out and pulled her out of the water by her arm. "You could have trusted me." The betrayal and the pain could be seen in the elf's eyes. Brine felt guilty of that betrayal. But what would happen if she returned to the palace? Would the responsibility for the dwarves' escape fall on her? The king already hated her simply because she was the daughter of his former fiancée, and she was sure that he would not be merciful in imposing a punishment on her. Brine understood that then. As kind as Legolas was to her, she could not stay with him. She had to keep running. She cast a quick glance at the stream and then at Legolas.

"Forgive me." She said before she let go of him and jumped back in the water. A pair of arms broke her fall.

"I'm sorry, little prince, find yourself another dwarf!" Brine looked up and found Fili, who was looking proudly at the elf as he held her in his arms. Brine let a smile escape her lips. Carefully, Fili made space for her in the barrel, although it was not very wide and his chest was pressing against her back. Brine blushed at the situation and felt her muscles hard against it. Discreetly she let herself lie against him. "Hold on," Fili said in Brine's ear, which she obeyed without complaint.

Inside the barrel, the journey was less complicated but just as dangerous. The elves and orcs were catching up with them. Legolas ordered the gates closed, leaving the dwarves trapped by them.

"We cannot give up!" Brine exclaimed, turning around to look at Fili. Their eyes met briefly before Fili began to look around for a way out.

"Kili!" He exclaimed as he watched an orc kill the elf who was closing the door with an arrow. Kili nodded and ran to the shore to get to the label.

"Be careful!" Brine exclaimed as she saw more orcs approaching him. Kili had been too slow and the orcs were closing in on him. Brine turned her face and closed her eyes tightly. Fili, in a reflex action, embraced her and hid her gaze on his chest. Brine only stepped aside when she heard an inhuman howl. Her green eyes located the elf that had been talking to Kili these days with her bow drawn and her aim at the orc pack. Kili took advantage of the situation and began to open the gate, allowing the dwarves to cross it. They had managed to escape from that place. Brine breathed a sigh of relief and let the gentle current guide them to the next stop.

* * *

They came to a kind of lake where the water was completely calm. Fili pulled his arms out of the barrel and began to row to the shore, pressing his body against Brine and making her blush. Once on the shore, he helped Brine out of the barrel, making sure she was safe there. Once outside, Brine began to inspect her injuries caused by the trip down the creek. Her left shoulder was dislocated and her forearm was cut quite deeply.

"It doesn't look good," Fili commented by watching her with a pained expression. Brine tried to stay calm as she shook her head. "Can I help you?" He asked as he put his hands on Brine without touching her. Brine looked at him and nodded as she sat on a rock away from the group.

"Do you know how to do that?" Brine asked.

"I have a slight idea, but I think you'd better guide me," Fili replied with a smile and warm blue eyes. Brine could get completely lost in them. "So where do I start?"

"The first thing is to put my shoulder into it." She said as she asked Fili to take her shoulder. The delicacy with which he did it left Brine surprised. "On the count of three, make a dry move towards you." Fili nodded and looked at her, waiting for the moment. Brine took a deep breath and nodded as she counted down from three. At the end, Fili pulled her arm. Brine bit her lip hard, silencing the cry of pain, but could not hold back her tears. An instant later her shoulder was perfectly fine.

"I'm so sorry," Fili said, quickly approaching her and wiping her tears with his thumbs. "Are you all right?"

"It's all right." Brine replied with another breath. Her eyes moved to the cut in her arm. "Now I have to fix this." She said with a face of disgust.

"It's deep," Fili commented by watching it. Brine got up to go to the shore and wash the wound, but Fili stopped her. He tore off a piece of his shirt and ran to wet it and came right back and asked Brine how to clean it.

"Carefully." Brine groaned in pain. Fili apologized and cleaned up more gently again. "You're sure to find a flower on the shore. It is called Florviva." Brine said when Fili finished cleaning her wound.

"Florviva?"

"It's a herb with purple flowers. I saw it on the way down." Brine stood up and started looking around. "You have it there." She said, pointing to the shore. Fili got up quickly and soon returned with a bunch of them. "You have to make a paste out of them." Brine reached out with her hand for a pile of herbs and started chewing them to get a paste to spread over the cut. Fili imitated her and carefully applied the paste.

"You'll need to cover it up now," Fili said. Brine nodded as she finished spreading the paste. Fili caught her attention as he got up and walked to the river with the piece of the shirt he had used to clean the wound. Brine watched as he rinsed it in the river and came back with it clean. "Let me put it here." He mumbled as he covered the cut. Brine felt the back of her neck bristle as she felt Fili's fingers caressing her skin once he had finished covering the wound. Fili's blue eyes met Brine's green ones and at that moment she had the feeling that something had changed between the two of them.


	12. Chapter 12

**So yeah! Another chapter. Thank you so much for those who have follow and fav the story. I also want to thanks to my dear guest and to StoriesNMore for their review. Thank you so much and I hope you like this chapter! **

* * *

Brine peeked down the side of the boat of Bard, the smuggler who had offered to take them to Lake City, where they could recover to continue their journey to Erebor.

"What's going on," Brine asked Fili when he approached her, leaning on his elbows and looking into the thoughtful distance.

"We need money," Fili confessed, biting the inside of his lip. "And according to Gloin's accounts, there isn't enough. If we don't give him what he asks for, he'll give us to the elves."

"Why them?"

"Because your dear friend, the blond elf, has put a high price on our heads," Fili replied as he turned in on himself, leaning against the side of the boat and looking Brine in the eyes.

"Fili." Brine rebuked him. She knew why he referred to Legolas the way he had. She could hear the jealousy in his voice. "Why will he give us to them? Is he not afraid of the orcs?"

"I doubt if he knows that a pack of Orcs are after us," Fili replied by crossing his arms. "These people need to eat, Brine. They won't hesitate." Brine felt a chill as she heard Fili's words, which he noticed and quickly moved a little closer to her, gently stroking her arm. Brine raised her hand and caressed Fili's, only brushing her fingertips against his back.

"I'm very sorry I can't help you." Brine fled from Fili's gaze. Everyone was making a great effort to continue and she could not help but feel like a hindrance.

"Don't worry about it." Fili put his hand under her chin, raising her face and making their eyes meet. Brine felt a heat invading her chest. Something she was finding very comforting lately and felt she needed more and more every day. Gloin's moans broke the moment. Brine took a step back, looking away from Fili.

"I'm going to see Kili." She said excusing herself as she walked away from him and left him with a frustrated expression.

* * *

Kili was sitting away from the group. He had cut himself a little during the escape. He had not given it much thought and, as much as Brine had insisted, he had not given in to her examining him.

"How are you?" Brine asked sitting next to him.

"I think I'm fine." Kili smiled as he nodded. "How are things with Fili?" Brine blushed quickly. "I see you've become closer lately," Kili commented with a whining tone in his voice.

"You can say we've overcome our differences." Brine replied as she played with her bootlaces.

"He loves you, Brine." Brine turned quickly to Kili. His skin was pale and covered with a cold sweat.

"You're delirious!" she shouted as she stood and held Kili's head. Bilbo was the one who got to them first, helping Brine handle Kili.

"We have to get him in the barrel," Bilbo informed Brine. "It's the only way to get into town." Brine nodded and soon delicately placed Kili in a barrel.

"Don't worry. It's going to be all right." She said as she caressed Kili's face. He was on fire. "I think he has an infection from the wound." Brine informed Bilbo before she went into her own barrel.

* * *

When Brine heard that Bard was going to help them, she did not think it would be by covering them with old fish. She felt the smell covering every hole in the barrel. It was a little nauseating so she could not have been happier when she felt someone knocking over her barrel.

"Thank you." Brine sighed as she felt strong arms pulling on her.

"You're welcome, little princess." Replied Dwalin's crude voice.

Brine shook the scales from her hands and face and followed Bard cautiously. They crossed small wooden bridges, crossed piers and climbed stairs until they came to a small door. Everyone was waiting expectantly for what was on the other side, so the disappointment they felt at the sight of a latrine was enormous.

"You don't expect us to go in there, do you?" Dwalin asked in a bad mood.

"If you want me to help you, yes," Bard replied as he leaned against the door frame. They all looked at each other and finally at Thorin, who pushed Dwalin to be the first. Mumbling, Dwalin ducked through the hole going up. Everyone watched as his body disappeared while he mumbled something in the old Dwarf language. "Quick, next." One by one, they got into it until it was Brine's turn. She looked at the hole with a terrified expression as she shook her head.

"I can't. I can't do it. I can't do it." Brine said.

"What are you saying, silly girl? Do like the others and get in." Bard replied quickly as he pushed her away.

"Watch your hands!" Fili intervened by brusquely pulling Bard's hands away from Brine. "Don't worry, look at me." He said turning to Brine and holding her by the shoulders. "You don't have to if you don't want to. Nothing's going to happen. We'll find a way in." Brine plunged her frightened green eyes into Fili's blue. Slowly she began to regain her rhythm and her breathing. His look was so reassuring. "Calm down." He repeated as he hugged her. Brine breathed deep, letting the smell of leather and fish intoxicate her. "Find another way to get her in," Fili ordered, staring hard at Bard.

"Alright." He replied after a few minutes of silence. "Put this on and stay with me." Bard handed Brine a handkerchief to cover her head with. "But the rest of you must go in that way."

Fili looked at Brine sweetly before nodding and turning to go in the hole. Brine held her breath for a few moments until Bard pulled her up other stairs leading to another kind of door.

"Another latrine?" Brine asked suspiciously without opening the door.

"If that's what you want to call my house," Bard said as he opened the door and let out a small house full of dwarves and three frightened children against a corner. Some children who were soon out looking for their father when they saw him come in. "You can wash up here while I get your weapons," Bard said, taking his son to help him. "All I ask is that you do not leave here." The dwarves watched as Bard and his son disappeared out the door.

"We'd better get started," Thorin said. At that moment, Bardo's eldest daughter ran out to fill the bowls with water and leave them in the middle of the house.

"You lady can wash up around here." The younger one pointed as she led her into a corner and ran a cloth that served as a curtain. She could see the silhouettes of the dwarves, but it was better than nothing. She uncovered her head, letting her hair fall on her shoulders. The little girl of the house soon arrived with hot water. "Are you a dwarf woman?" the little girl asked as she helped Brine remove her shirt. Brine nodded.

"But I'm not like them."

"I don't understand."

"Dwarf women have long beards decorated with the most precious jewels of the mountain. Their hands and feet are big." Brine explained as she took a sponge and dipped it in the water. It did not take her long to get ready and when she was done, a dark blue dress was waiting for her. It was not the kind of dress she wore, but it was something she had not worn in a long time. Although it was very tight, it was perfect in length.

"I'm sorry I don't have another one to offer you." Said the eldest daughter.

"I'm having a little trouble breathing." Brine complained as she tugged at her dress trying to breathe.

"That's easily solved." The girl replied as she took a pair of scissors and opened a slit in the chest of her dress. Brine felt her lungs filling up again. "I'm sorry it looks so provocative."

"No problem." Brine replied. As long as she could breathe, she did not mind that her breasts looked like they were about to come out of her dress.

* * *

She walked out of the house on the side. She wanted to leave the rest of the group the same privacy she had had. The cold of the small watch Galadriel gave her caught her attention. She took the chain off the inside of her dress and looked at the watch carefully. That was when she realized. It was only a few days away from her birthday, and so she had to make her decision. She leaned against the wall of the house, thinking, as the clock wound around in her hands. She thought she was clear about her decision the moment she received the news. All her life, the dwarf people had disowned her. They had humiliated and hated her. So when she discovered she had an elf family, she could not have been happier. She could start over with them, a people who had not yet rejected her. However, because of her relationship with Kili and Fili's new attitude, everything was different. Perhaps not all dwarves were so cruel.

"Fili." Brine muttered without being able to hide a smile. She did not know why his attitude towards her had changed, but she could not be more grateful for it.

"How did you know I was here?" Fili asked, approaching her. Brine took a small leap that she managed to hide. "I thought I'd been quiet enough to catch you off guard." Brine smiled as she secretly put away her watch. Their glances crossed and Brine saw how Fili was trying to avoid landing on his chest. He was wearing a beige shirt and his hair and beard were cleaned and tided.

"Intuition." Brine replied with a beautiful smile that ended up infecting Fili.

"You look amazing," Fili said as he approached her. It was beginning to get dark and the little sun that was left made Brine shine with a light of her own. She nodded her head in thanks. "Come, I want to show you something," Fili said as he took her hand and pulled her up to the roof. Brine tried to follow him as best she could in the dress she was wearing. Once on top of the house, Fili grabbed her by the waist, making sure she did not fall. "Look." He said standing behind her and pointing to the horizon with her finger. "You see that?" Brine tried to focus on what Fili was pointing at, but having him so close made it practically impossible. The smell of leather and soap did not help her. With great inner strength, she focused on a silhouette rising in the direction she was pointing. "Erebor." Brine's eyes opened like plates and all distractions disappeared. She had not been aware of how close she was to the dwarf kingdom. If she stopped to think about it, she had really come a long way since hse started at the inn to serve Thorin. She turned her head to Fili, looking at him happily.

* * *

They spent hours up there, sitting on the roof of the house as they listened to the absurd arguments among some of the dwarves. Fili was telling her all the stories Thorin had told them about Erebor and the great treasures hidden in its halls. Brine could spend hours and hours listening to him talk so eagerly.

"I can't wait to show you, Brine," Fili confessed.

"Fili, why the change of heart?" Brine finally asked, a bit terrified of how the dwarf would respond. Fili blushed and hid his gaze.

"I don't think I was fair to you." He finally said. "I've always wanted Thorin to be proud of me. If he saw that I gave in to you, if he saw that I trusted you so easily, he would surely be disappointed." Fili explained. "However, I realized that I had grown fond of you. I don't care if it was with Pip's image, your personality was exactly the same."

"Thank you, Fili." Brine patted Fili's knee, indicating that everything was fine. Fili looked at her calmly for a long time. Brine was lost in his gaze. Everything around her seemed to have disappeared. She was a little startled when she noticed Fili's hand caressing her cheek. This caused Fili to quickly withdraw his hand, but Brine was quicker and brought it back to her face. His hands were rough, but his touch was so delicate at the same time. Slowly, Fili moved closer to her, closing the narrow space between them.

"There's something else," Fili muttered. Brine tried to listen carefully to his words without being distracted by his thin lips. "This time I've realized I wasn't only fond of you." Brine took a breath. Fili was so close to her that his lips brushed against hers as he spoke. "I realized that" Fili only had to press his lips against hers to melt into a passionate kiss. A kiss that Brine had been dreaming about for months. At last, everything she had dreamed of was going to come true, and she was sure it would be beyond her imagination. Brine raised her trembling hand and placed it on Fili's shoulder while closing her eyes and hoping to feel the warmth of his lips against her mouth.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you so much for our lovely reviews my dear guest and my dear Filisgirl251. Hope you enjoy this new chapter. Love!**

Brine felt Fili's moustache tickle her upper lip. His breath warmed her lower one. Fili's hand caressed her cheek gently. Brine closed her eyes as she tried to control her breathing and the shaking in her body. They were so close...

"You two!" Brine opened her eyes wide. Fili walked away and stood up carefully to get a better look at the person who had just interrupted them. Brine approached and saw Bard waiting with his arms in a jar and a face of few friends. "From the part: Don't leave the house, what haven't you understood?" Bard shouted. "You are completely irresponsible. What if someone saw you? Learn to control your damn hormones." Fili helped Brine down gently, hugging her around the waist as he faced Bard.

"Watch what you say. You wouldn't want to get in trouble with a dwarf." Fili said as he pushed Brine into the house. "I'm sorry," Fili whispered in Brine's ear with a tender smile, making the girl blush.

Bard soon entered with a huge lump wrapped in old blankets. He dropped it with a thud on the table. A pile of spears, pickaxes, and shovels came out from underneath it. The dwarves stared in awe at the pile of scrap metal Bard had brought with him.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Thorin asked seriously and stared at the man coldly. "We pay you for weapons."

"And there you have them," Bard replied, defending himself.

"No!" Thorin exclaimed, smashing them to the ground. Brine was startled, taking a few instinctive steps backwards. "We pay you for weapons to fight, not just for scrap metal." Thorin's angry voice echoed from every corner of the house.

"It's the only thing I can get here and now," Bard replied confidently but without further discussion with Thorin.

"Then we will have to manage on our own." Thorin challenged Bard and with a wave of his hand, all the dwarves stood beside him. Brine was the last to join Fili.

"Get out of my house." Finally, Bard said as he opened the door and began to watch the dwarves parade. Brine stopped in front of him and bowed her head as she apologized. "I said get out."

* * *

It was night when the dwarves left Bard's house and started wandering around Lake City. The ice blocks were accumulating near the small wooden bridges that connected the different parts of the city. Brine felt the cold seeping into her dress. She was sure that it would not be long before it started to snow.

Thorin began to guide them through the guides and paths, hiding in the darkness of the corners, until they reached a small warehouse. Nori was the one who took the lead then by being the only one able to open the lock on the door. After several minutes of fidgeting, the lock was heard to open and the door was pushed open. Inside they found axes, bows and swords. The weapons Thorin wanted. Dwalin was the one who entered and began to assign one by one a weapon to match.

"Silence." Brine ordered as she noticed a rhythmic sound that was becoming louder and louder. "Are you hearing it?" She asked worriedly. Fili looked at her.

"What's going on?" He asked, not understanding what she was talking about.

"The noise." Brine said, looking out the small window of the warehouse.

"You can't hear anything," Dwalin replied by giving Fili an axe and a sword. "It's all in your mind, princess."

"Fili. It's not my imagination." Brine replied once Dwalin had left. "Someone is coming." Brine's gaze conveyed despair. Fili's face showed the restlessness of the moment. He did not know what to do.

* * *

The visitors soon arrived and a lot of soldiers piled up around the warehouse. Brine gave Fili a scolding look and said: "I told you so." The guards ordered the dwarves out one by one as they laid down their arms and led them to the governor's house, where a group of people waited. Brine was surrounded by Filo, Kili and Bilbo. Her eyes briefly examined the people around her and there was one particular look that caught her attention.

"Zirb!" Exclaimed Brine as she broke through the barrier formed by the boys. She heard Fili call out to her and tried to catch her, but Brine was quicker. "Zirb!" Brine called her again and was horrified to find herself face to face with her. Her friend from a few years ago and her confidant looked totally different from the last one she saw in the valley near Rivendell. She looked neglected, her dress was dirty and tatty, though her blue eyes remained intact. Brine melted into an embrace beside her as guilt grew inside her. "Tell me it's not what I think it is." She whispered in her ear.

"Don't worry, Brine," Zirb replied sweetly. "You're not to blame."

"It's because I didn't come back with you, isn't it?" Brine's voice was about to break. Zirb's silence confirmed her suspicions. She could not believe her aunt and uncle had kicked Zirb out.

"I told them I didn't find you." Zirb turned away from Brine and plunged her blue eyes into her green ones. "Brine, sooner or later it was going to happen."

"But it's not fair!" Brine shouted. She noticed the looks in them. Zirb was silent and when she went to speak she was interrupted by the mayor. The dwarves prepared for the worst, but the mayor's words surprised them.

"Citizens!" A round man started shouting from the top of a staircase. People seemed to have respect for him, or was it fear? Brine could not tell. "It seems that someone has believed that he can steal from us." His words attracted the townspeople, who screamed in anger as they tried to push Zirb aside to get closer to the dwarves.

"We thought we could make a deal with Lake City," Thorin replied in an authoritative voice. Brine watched as Zirb's pupils dilated on seeing him. Nobody could tell Thorin looked like a king, but knowing Zirb, Brine knew he was still the king under the mountain she knew.

"A deal?" asked the mayor in an ironic and mocking way. The people around him began to laugh. "And what are simple mountain dwarves supposed to offer us?" he asked with a laugh.

"Gold," Thorin answered by stepping forward and making the people shut up. Hearing that word, the mayor turned his attention to it. "Tons of gold." Thorin insisted.

"And where do you intend to get that gold?" asked the intrigued mayor.

"From Erebor." Thorin nodded to the mountain. "Help us get our home back and I assure you we will be generous to you." His tone was so convincing that even Brine would have agreed without hesitation.

"Generous?" A worried voice burst into the square. "You will bring us to ruin!" Bard appeared, pushing people aside. He stopped by Zirb, exchanging a worried look. Zirb tried to stop him but Bard kept talking. "You did it once before with Dale's people. I will not allow you to do it again with Lake City."

"Do what?" Thorin climbed the steps enough to be seen by everyone. "Enrich a city? There are thousands of treasures hidden in the mountain chambers. Don't you want them?" The people howled in agreement. Thorin smiled triumphantly and turned his gaze to Bard. His expression hardened. Brine thought he did not like seeing Zirb as he did, let alone so close to Bard. "That man" Thorin pointed to Bard. "He only wants your misery and ruin. Will you allow that?"

"You do not have to listen to him, my lord. He's a simple revolutionary smuggler." The mayor replied. "He does not speak for us."

"I seek to protect my people from the dangers hidden in that mountain! I seek to protect them from the dragon and from you!" Bard replied and the people began to murmur.

"Dragon? Which one of you has seen the dragon?" Thorin asked the people. No one answered. "No one's heard from it for hundreds of years, it's more than dead." Brine turned suddenly. She admired Thorin for his charisma and power of conviction but never thought he would be able to deceive anyone. All the dwarves knew the dragon was not dead, but no one said anything. They all shunned the sight.

"No one has been able to do it!" Bard protested.

"Enough!" protested the mayor. "Guards, lock him up!" He exclaimed and a small group of guards came down the stairs. Brine feared Thorin had gone too far but was surprised to see the guards pass him and approach Bard. Zirb began to protest but her words were silenced with a slap. Brine protested as she bowed and helped her up. "Citizens of Lake. Welcome our friends: Thorin Oakenshield and his company." Brine felt her skin crawl at the man's words. She did not have a good feeling.

* * *

Brine leaned back in her seat with a full stomach. The governor had insisted on giving a dinner in honour of the company, regaling them with gifts and food.

"Brine!" Zirb exclaimed at the sight of her attitude. Brine had managed to convince Zirb to come with her to the dinner the mayor had organized. That way they could catch up.

"I think I've spent too much time with the dwarves." Brine replied by blushing and looking down.

"What about Philli?" asked Zirb, taking advantage of the fact that the atmosphere was more relaxed and she did not feel the pressure from anyone in them. "He hasn't taken his eyes off you."

"Well, you could say that at first, he wasn't very happy with my presence, but" Brine looked up and unconsciously fixed her eyes on Fili. His blue eyes searched for her with a strange glow so far. "You can say we've come to a good end." Brine smiled. Fili averted his eyes from her for a thousandth of a second, but then he looked back at her. Brine felt the need to go to him, but on what pretext? She could not interrupt Thorin for no reason while he was giving instructions to his nephew. Brine sighed in frustration but something magical happened then. Thorin rose from his seat with his ale jar and circled around the room to finally approach Brine and Zirb.

"Excuse me, my ladies." He said, bowing his head.

Up close, Brine could see a shade of pink on his cheeks. Brine knew that it was not with her that he wanted to be, so she got up and walked out of the room, down a corridor until she ended up on a large balcony from which the whole city and the silhouette of the mountain could be seen. She knew that someone was following her, and from the curses he was saying, she knew it was Fili. Brine waited for him on the balcony with a small smile.

"Damn it." Said Fili as he carried a potted plant ahead of him. Brine looked at him funny. "I've been wanting to be with you all night." Fili's look was tender and sweet. Brine noticed that his cheeks were also flushed, like Thorin's, although his were a more intense colour. Fili approached Brine, grabbing her by the waist and drawing her towards him. Brine noticed the smell of alcohol that Fili was giving off. "I think we were interrupted earlier." His voice was a whisper. "But I know where to go next." He said, taking Brine's face in his hands and smashing his lips against hers.

Brine felt a new confusing sensation. That same night on the roof she had felt the desire and need to kiss Fili, but then... Something had changed. Fili's sweetness and delicacy had completely disappeared. Brine's lips complained of pain. Brine tried to separate herself from him, but Fili was holding her tightly.

"Fili'' She murmured against his lips.

"That's it, princess." He answered with a funny tone as he went back to get Brine's lips. His hands began to unscrupulously devour Brine's body, which made the girl even more nervous.

"No. Stop." She asked but Fili kept ignoring her. Brine pulled out all her strength and managed to push him hard enough to get him away from her. "I said stop!" Some of the fabric of Brine's dress had torn and hung so that it almost exposed her entire chest. Fili's eyes were fixed on something other than Brine's half-naked chest.

"What is this?" he asked with a serious, hard look at Brine's pendant.

"It's a gift." She answered quickly as she took the watch out of his hands.

"It's an elf gift." Brine turned to look at him and saw in Fili the same cold look he had given her a few weeks earlier when he discovered who she really was.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi there! I'm sorry for no update last week. Thankyou Fillisgirl and my mysterious guest for your lovely reviews. Hope you enjoy it. Love!**

* * *

"What the hell is this, Brine?

"But this is not mine!" Brine replied angrily. "It was something I borrowed." Brine was not sure if that pendant was hers or if she would have to return it in time.

"I can't believe you're really doing this to me. It's an elf gift!" Fili screamed in pain as he gestured quickly. "You're choosing him over me!"

"That I choose him?" Brine turned offended and hit him in the face, turning it around. "I've come all the way down here for you. I took a chance on you. I have faced orcs and goblins... And you say that I have chosen him?" Her rage turned to a dark sadness. Fili did not consent to look at her. His hand covered his face red and irritated by Brine's blow as well as by his state of inebriation. Brine waited and waited but seeing Fili's attitude, she decided to give up and leave before she said anything she would regret.

* * *

Brine left the governor's house as quickly as she could without understanding the feelings she had at the time. She had a feeling of disgust when she thought of the kiss that Fili had given her. It had been her first kiss, but she never imagined it would be so unpleasant and so abrupt. On the other hand, she was totally disappointed by the reaction he had had when he saw the pendant.

"Brine?" It was Zirb's voice. Brine had not seen her coming but saw how Thorin waited under a bow and watched them. "What happened?" she asked, taking the piece of cloth from the dress that was hanging from her. "Are you all right?" Brine nodded as she looked away from her. "Come home with me, don't worry."

Brine had followed Zirb through the streets of Lake City in silence, avoiding giving details of what had happened. Zirb led her through the shadows of the alleys, avoiding being seen by prying eyes. As the road progressed it became familiar and Bard's house appeared in front of them.

"Why are we here?" Brine asked uncomfortably. She was not sure that Bard would accept her presence thereafter that night's situation with the dwarves.

"Because I live here," Zirb replied by opening the door. Brine looked at her in surprise and followed her inside. The girls who had helped her went quickly to meet her while asking her about what had happened in the square. "We just went to meet our new friends." Zirb seemed a little tired and distracted that night.

"Where is father?" asked the older one. Brine looked at Zirb worried, not knowing how she would tell them that he had been arrested.

"Still meeting with our friends." Zirb lied. The girls looked at her strangely but did not enter into an argument with her about it. "It's late girls, we'd better go to sleep." The girls nodded and retreated to the small corner where a few hours earlier Brine had cleaned up and dressed. They pulled back the heavy curtain, leaving a little privacy for the girls.

"What does this mean, Zirb?" Brine asked cautiously. Zirb did not turn to look at her.

"When I came here I had nothing and no one. I came in with the hope of meeting you and being able to accompany you too, but I found myself spending my days alone on the street."

"Zirb, we had complications along the way and" Brine wanted to explain to Zirb all that happened with the goblins and orcs, and their confinement in the elven dungeons.

"It's not a reproach," Zirb said quickly. "Quiet." Zirb smiled as she gave Brine her old clothes to change into. "The days were bearable, but the nights were very hard and difficult. That's when Bard found me. He just wanted to help me and offered me to stay here."

"Are you...?" Brine did not want to be brusque with Zirb but was curious about her relationship with the smuggler. She could have sworn her friend had feelings for Thorin.

"Together?" Zirb finished the question. "We only tried it once but it did not work. He still remembers his wife, and I" Brine waited for Zirb to finish the sentence and end up confessing everything about her feelings for Thorin. "I'm not ready for it." Brine was disappointed but knew she did not have to force Zirb to talk about something she was not comfortable with. "I think we should go to sleep, Brine. We need to rest after the whole day. I'm sure we can talk more clearly tomorrow." Brine accepted Zirb's proposal. It had been a very hard day with many emotions. I needed some time alone to think.

* * *

Brine woke up to hear knocking on the door. She did not know what time it was or how long she had been sleeping. Zirb quickly approached the door. She was still wearing her nightdress.

"Who is it?" Brine asked, walking beside her.

"I don't know." She answered as she opened the door. Brine's eyes opened wide.

"He needs your help," Fili said, who was carrying Kili on his shoulder. Zirb looked at Brine in confusion.

"Please." Bofur pleaded as he held the door open with one hand. One look at Kili was enough for Brine to know that Kili's life was in danger.

"Lay him on the table." Brine said as she let Fili, Kili and Bofur in. "Zirb, I need hot towels for the wound and some ice for the fever." Brine slit the fabric of Kili's trousers to open the wound and the image made her shiver. A dark stain stretched across the back, and from the centre oozed a yellow substance. "How could you let it get to this point?" exclaimed Brine as she ran to examine the leg more closely. Kili groaned as she felt her hands on him.

"It was supposed to be a simple wound. He was healing it. Everything seemed to be going well." Bofur explained. Zirb came over with everything Brine had asked for.

"It looks infected. Look how it smells." She said as she joined Brine in examining the wound.

"How it smells..." Fili murmured as he approached them as well. Brine could not help but notice. His blue eyes glowed with curiosity and she saw his moustache move from side to side as he thought of something.

"I need you to bring me marveline." She said as she turned her attention back to Kili. "It's a plant with a very characteristic aroma and its flowers are red."

"I'll take care of it." Zirb said, being the only one who knew the plant and would know where to find it. Bofur decided to accompany her to go faster, leaving Fili and Brine alone with a dying Kili. Brine could not help but feel uncomfortable. How could she look at him after what happened last night? She was not able to do it.

"You're not out yet?" Brine asked as she took a cloth and dipped it in hot water. Fili did not turn around or move. He was absorbed in his thoughts, or so Brine wanted to think. "I need to clean the wound." She said after a while waiting for Fili's answer.

"Don't touch him." Fili did not even look at her, but his hand was holding Brine's hand at her wrist. At that moment Zirb and Bofur arrived with a bunch of herbs that Brine had ordered.

"I need to clean it up so I can cure him," Brine repeated as she slipped out of Fili's grip and began to grind up the herbs to make a paste.

"I said don't touch him!" Fili cried, pulling Brine away from Kili.

"Fili!" Brine shouted as she dodged him. "I'm the only one who can help him! You have to let me!" She exclaimed as she carefully spread the paste over Kili's wound. This one howled a whimper. "Quiet." Brine whispered as she caressed his face gently.

"What are you doing?" Fili took Brine in flight and separated her from Kili. "I told you not to touch him." He roared with rage. "Couldn't you listen to me for once in your fucking life?"

"Let go of me!" She shouted and kicked him. "What the hell is wrong with you? I just wanted to help save your brother's life!" Brine confronted Fili while Zirb and Bofur asked them to keep calm. "You know what I say? I don't know what you hit on the head, or if it's something that carries the food and drink here, but you're an asshole, Fili. I feel sorry for Kili, but you'll have to manage on your own." Brine spat as she left the house cursing. She heard Fili shouting something behind her back, but she was too angry to hear it.

* * *

Brine stopped when she felt her legs could not take another step. She stood on a wooden bridge, letting herself be supported by the unstable railing. The walk had served to clear the anger from her mind and now she was left with only the doubt of Fili's behaviour. She rubbed her face and eyes with her hands for several seconds. When her gaze returned to reality she saw the reflection of Legolas next to her, reflected in the water under the bridge. She was surprised, but her body was unable to react. She felt her muscles counting and relaxing with weak spasms.

"So you're here." Legolas smiled as he joined Brine. "We've been after you for days."

"Are you going to lock us up again?" Brine whispered. She could barely hear her voice.

"I wouldn't call it a lockdown," Legolas confessed. "Where's your friend?" He looked over his shoulder and around trying to locate Fili. "It seems strange not seeing him with you." He said with irony trying to make Brine jump. However, her head was lost and foggy.

"Something's wrong." She managed to say before she lost consciousness and dropped the bridge down.


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you very much to all of you who are following the story. I hope you like the new chapter and I can hear you in the reviews section. **

* * *

Brine felt a burning sensation invade her body. She tried to get away from that uncomfortable feeling, but something was holding her back. At that moment, a voice whispered in her ear.

"Don't worry. I'm with you." It whispered sweetly to her. Brine drew out all her inner strength and managed to open her eyes to see a bright blast cross the dark sky. "Don't worry." It whispered that sweet voice again. Brine could not recognise that voice but decided to obey as she let herself be gently rocked.

* * *

Brine regained consciousness. This time there was something soft under her. Her hands caressed a softness that she had not noticed for months.

"Brine?" The sweet voice asked again and this time Brine was able to identify its owner. Fili was approaching her with a tray full of food and water. Brine saw another one just like it on the side of her head. "Brine." Fili sighed again as he released the tray and sat down next to her, taking her temperature with the back of his hand. "How do you feel?"

"I'm a little tired." She sighed as she dropped her head to the side. "I feel like the whole mountain has fallen on me."

"It's normal. Kili's wound was caused by a poisoned Orc arrow." Fili explained as he poured a glass of honey water for Brine. "The poison is able to find any little crack in the body to go into."

"That's why you insisted about not touch it." Brine closed her eyes as she smiled weakly. "But why did it affect me so much?"

"That's something I still don't understand," Fili replied by giving Brine the glass to take a sip. "The elf told me you can drink this whenever you want. He said it would help you recover."

"Legolas?" She asked as she drank and looked around nervously. She knew the boys did not get along and she did not feel up to an argument. "Where is he?" She was surprised not to see him there.

"In Valle. Thorin would never consent to have an elf here." Fili replied by looking away from her and getting up to leave.

"Here where?" Brine stood up as best she could.

"In Erebor," Fili replied without looking at her before leaving the room.

* * *

Brine managed to get out of bed at sunset. She left her room to find an empty hallway full of doors similar to hers. She assumed that these would be rooms where the dwarves would be housed. The silence of the hallway was interrupted by footsteps that were rapidly approaching her.

"Brine!" The figure of Zirb appeared running towards her. "I came as soon as I heard. How do you feel?" She looked very worried.

"I'm a little tired."

"Normal. You've been unconscious for five days. We didn't know what was happening. Thank God Fili found you in time and Legolas was able to help you." Zirb explained to Brine as she walked her down the aisle to the outside.

"How did we get to Erebor?" Brine was curious. Had it been that easy to get in and get the dragon out?

"Oh Brine. So much has happened." Zirb sighed as she saw the remains of Lake City. Brine was surprised. Everything was destroyed and an ash cloud floated around.

"What has happened, Zirb?" Brine was worried about all that had been lost. Zirb explained everything that had happened to Smaug, how it was Bard who killed him with an arrow.

"We now live in the town of Valle. At the foot of the mountain." Zirb concluded.

"Don't you live here with us?" asked an incredulous Brine. She hoped that once Thorin got his mountain back, he would invite her to live there with him so he could be near her.

"You can say I am not very welcome here," Zirb replied without further explanation. "Brine." She said after a silence. "Will you come home?" Brine looked at the horizon. It was all over. The mission was over. That was what she had promised: to help get Erebor back. She had succeeded.

"I guess." Brine responded incredulously. "It's so strange... I always knew this would end one day, but it came sooner than I expected." Thousands of feelings were beginning to grow in Brine. All directed at one particular person.

"I wish I could go with you." There was a certain melancholy in her voice.

"Come with me. I'll talk to my aunt and uncle and get them to take you back." Brine was hopeful that her plan would work.

"Brine. We both know what your aunt and uncle are like. We know they won't let me come back." Zirb answered somewhat tired.

"I wish I could help you." Brine was saddened and remained silent for a few moments. "I promise that when I get married, I will come and find you. We will be together again."

* * *

Brine walked with Balin through the corridors of Erebor. He had kindly offered to show her around Erebor as soon as she had fully recovered. The little man walked through different rooms explaining the different activities that used to take place.

"It saddens me that you will not have time to see it as it used to be," Balin commented. Brine had announced her departure the same night she woke up and waited until she was fully recovered to go home. Kili had offered to accompany her, but his health was still weak and he could not bear the journey to the Blue Mountains. In his place, Bofur and Bombur would go to make sure she arrived safely. "But I assure you that tonight's banquet will be worthy of an Erebor banquet." Balin smiled as he continued to walk. Brine smiled politely and continued to listen to all the stories of the old dwarf, as well as the story of how they had managed to drive the dragon off the mountain. Inside, Brine knew she would miss those conversations.

The walk stopped earlier than expected. Thorin required Balin's presence in the throne room. Brine assured him that she would not move from the site until he returned. She found herself in a large ballroom with enough space for hundreds of couples to dance without bumping into one another. Brine imagined what it would be like to attend a dance in that place. She bowed her head as if someone were standing before her and offering her hand to dance. Brine pretended to take it and began to walk around the room. Someone's throat clearing took her out of her thoughts. Ashamed, she turned quickly to her new companion.

"Excuse me. I didn't mean to interrupt." Kili smiled a few steps behind Brine. It made her blush even more.

"I'm waiting for Balin to continue seeing the mountain before I leave." Brine replied without looking into his eyes.

"I understand." Kili murmured as he came a little closer to her. "I wanted to thank you for your help with my leg. It's much better."

"I didn't do anything, Kili. I just made the situation worse. At least you're getting rid of me for good." She smiled sadly.

"I don't want to get rid of you, Brine," Kili answered even closer.

"Kili, I've been more of a hindrance than a help. I don't know where I got the idea to join you, but I should have stayed home." Brine dropped against a column while trying to control her nerves. Kili approached her and took her hands delicately, pulling her towards the dance floor. "Kili?"

"I wish I could do it with music and other guests." He said as he moved to a rhythm that only sounded in his head. Brine smiled, thanking him for the gesture. Kili leaned over to her. Brine began to feel uncomfortable and gently walked away. Kili's eyes turned to something behind them. Brine tried to turn around, but she could not see what had caught his eyes. "Promise me you'll come to see us again." He said as he walked away from her. Kili leaned over to kiss her hand. "Be nice to him." He mumbled before he left.

Brine followed Kili with her eyes before turning to the thing that had made him leave and to whom she should be kind. Fili was watching her with an uncomfortable look. He had changed his old clothes for new ones. They were in shades of blue that highlighted the blond in his beard and hair. Brine did not know what to say to him. She had not seen him since the day she woke up. She had waited for him to come and pay her a visit but it seemed as if he was avoiding her. But what was he going to do but after the way they ended up last time? Brine could not help but notice him. She felt stupid for letting her inexperience lead her to reject Fili. Should she be the one to take the first step this time? But how could she? She was inexperienced, she would surely end up breaking his nose or worse, Fili would reject her.

"I'm sorry if I have interrupted you." Fili apologized when he saw how Brine would not open her mouth.

"It's nothing. We were just saying goodbye." Brine replied quickly. "Kili would have liked to show me one of your dances here, but I don't have that much time."

"That's true," Fili commented more for himself than for her. "I guess you'll be going home soon." Brine looked at him in disbelief. Did not he know that this would be her last night?

"Tomorrow I'll leave at dawn. The road is long and the sooner I get out, the better." Then she could get away from Fili as soon as possible and avoid doing more stupid things. Fili looked at her with a smile but sad eyes.

"I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you the other night." He apologized by approaching her.

"And I'm sorry I didn't listen to you." Brine kept a safe distance between Fili and her. "But I assumed you were upset and angry with me because of what happened between us and..."

"I was." Fili cut it off but there was no anger in his tone of voice. "I thought something important had grown between us. But when I saw your necklace... When I saw your necklace I realized that my place was not next to a princess like you. I know that we dwarves have hurt you a lot. An injury that will hardly be healed during the months we've spent together. As much as I would have loved to ask you. Even if I had given what I love most to have you stay, I couldn't be selfish. And that made me angry." Brine was paralyzed listening to Fili's speech. It was the first time anyone had ever been so open to her. "I never wanted to see you again. In fact, I still don't want to see you. It kills me to be in the same room as you. And all because I know I can't ask you to. I can't make you do something you don't want to do." Brine felt the agony and frustration of Fili's words.

"Ask me what, Fili?" Brine was afraid of the answer he was going to give her. But it was not a terrifying fear. No. Fili looked at her and turned that sweet smile accompanied by the sad look with which he had started the conversation.

"Stay with me," Fili replied. Brine felt her legs fail her but made an effort to stay on her feet. She had to tell Fili the truth. She had to tell him she shared the same desire. She walked slowly towards him holding him by the elbows while her gaze intertwined with Fili's in the hope that he could read her thoughts.

"Sorry I'm late, kiddo." Balin's voice interrupted the young couple who were abruptly separated. Fili turned his back on them as he tried to recover from his conversation with Brine. "Oh, Fili. I thought you were in training."

"Excuse me. I was on my way back to my room and found Brine here alone." Fili replied as he controlled his breathing.

"Nonsense. I asked her nicely to wait as I was about to talk to your uncle." Balin ended up at the level of the young. "Since you're here, would you like to join us? I'm sure it won't hurt you to know the history of your future kingdom." Balin laughed as he waited for Fili's answer. Brine looked at him as she nodded, but seeing Fili's indecision, she decided to intervene.

"I'm sure he'll be delighted. His training is over now, isn't it?"

"Of course it is," Balin replied as he pushed Fili forward and forced him to walk. "Try to be careful." Fili and Brine exchanged complicit glances. Glances they had not shared in a long time.

They walked together listening to Balin's stories and historical facts he insisted Fili should remember. From time to time Fili would quietly point out the odd comment to Balin's stories. Brine could not help but laugh sometimes. Although things were not as she would have liked, she would at least leave Erebor with Fili as a friend. And the sweet feeling of having felt something for someone would always remain in her memory.

* * *

When the visit was over, dinner was prepared and served, waiting for Brine, Fili and Balin to start. Brine looked around the room and was surprised not to see Zirb. She must not have hidden her disappointed look because Fili was quick to ask her.

"I just... I was hoping to see more people." Brine replied. She did not know why Zirb had strayed so far from the company.

"Thorin will never admit that an elf enters Erebor. I've told you. Not after what they did in the past." Fili explained.

"But he has let a half elf in." Brine replied quickly as she sat next to him in the vacant seats that had been left.

"Because he knew I wouldn't let go of you as long as you weren't well." Brine looked at Fili with disbelief. She could not believe that he had really done that for her.

"I didn't know." Brine confessed without looking away from him.

"It's the second time I've been awake for days because of you," Fili responded with a slight blush. "Don't get used to it." He went on and winked at her. Brine paused in spite of the sweet detail Fili had had with her, wondering if her future husband would become like him.

"Thank you." She replied as she continued to eat and turn her head. "Fili." Brine called the dwarf who was in a battle-technique conversation with Dwalin. It did not take long for Fili to cut off the conversation to attend to Brine. "Where's Zirb?"

"Thorin doesn't think it's right to invite her," Fili replied in a low tone so that no one would interfere with the conversation. "He says he can't put his honour in that situation."

"What situation?"

"Don't you know? Thorin has been in love with her for some time." Brine choked on the sip of wine in her mouth.

"Did they know each other before?" she asked in alarm.

"Of course they have. Zirb would have been a 14-year-old girl when Thorin saw her when he was living as a blacksmith and travelling all over the territory arranging his things. Although she was still young, her beauty was beginning to stand out."

"So why didn't he come back for her?"

"He did, but he didn't know what to say to her. He didn't even know if she would remember him. When he saw her in the ruins of the farmer's house, a single glance confirmed that her memories were still intact. Thorin wanted to offer her a kingdom, wanted to offer her a life of pride. But when he saw her again in Lago and saw how her attention was focused on the smuggler..."

"But it was a mutual interest to survive. There was no romantic interest." Brine replied quickly. She could not believe her ears. She had sensed it and suspected it, but now Fili had confirmed the whole story. "That's why Zirb is with the attitude he has, Fili. She's in love with Thorin and in pain at the same time."

"Are you sure?" Fili was also surprised to hear Brine's revelation.

"Of course I am!" Brine moved restlessly in her chair. "Fili, you have to help me get them back together so they can clear up their situation."

"Brine, I'm not sure we should interfere."

"Don't you want them to be together?" asked Brine, a little disappointed.

"It's not that," Fili replied by plunging his blue eyes into her green. "These are my things. Of course, I'll help you." He ended up accepting the dwarf's plan as he listened carefully to Brine's plan. "But what about your trip?"

"I can delay it a little longer. I'll find a way." Brine replied with a smile and a wink to Fili. After all, Zirb had done so much for her, she deserved to be happy with the man she loved.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hope you enjoy guys!!**

Brine left her room early with one of the dresses Fili had found in the palace. The night before she had devised a plan with Fili to finally bring Zirb and Thorin together once and for all. She walked to the front door where Fili was waiting for her.

"What are you doing here?" asked Brine, surprised as she approached him.

"I don't want you to go alone. The people of Valle are very unhappy with us and I don't want..." Fili's cheeks turned pink. Brine tightened his forearm. She knew how he should continue that sentence, but she saw the problem it posed for Fili.

"Thank you." Brine replied as she put a cape over her shoulders and covered her face. Fili did the same and made sure Brine was ready. Brine's little hand reached out for Fili's arm, hugging it shakily. Fili's gaze quickly shifted from the gesture to Brine. "I think this helps us to hide even more," Brine added in a nervous voice. Having him so close caused a strange feeling in her, but as she had told him, they would be safer if they acted like a couple.

"I understand," Fili replied with a nervous smile as he set off for the City of Valle.

* * *

It did not take long for Brine and Fili to arrive at a dilapidated house where people said Zirb lived. Fili slowly broke away from her.

"I'm waiting for you over here." He said as he moved slightly away from the house and looked around. Brine looked at him before entering. Despite being a dwarf, his posture was upright and he was quite tall. His moustache was moving as he glanced around with his cool gaze. Brine's green eyes ended up intertwining with Fili's blue eyes, creating a unique connection she had not felt before. Brine was slow to return to reality. She had to talk to Zirb.

She carefully entered the half-built house. She could hear someone poking around inside her and cursing. Brine found Zirb kicking and punching an old straw mattress. Brine waited until she thought she was done. She cleared her throat to make her presence known. Zirb was startled.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she held her hand up. "It's not safe, Brine."

"Don't worry, I've been accompanied." Brine saw Zirb's gaze light up and she headed for the entrance. "Fili is waiting outside." A disappointment crossed Zirb's gaze. Brine knew then that she was waiting for someone else. "I've come because I need your help. You know I'm coming home today, but I'm not very good at organizing the trip."

"I remember having to come back more than once halfway to pick up several dresses," Zirb remembered with nostalgia as she continued to put the old mattress back together. "I don't even know how you ran away by yourself." Laughed Zirb as she turned. Brine cast a look at her pretending to be in pain.

"Why don't you come and help me? It'll make it easier for me to get out of there." Brine started playing with the ribbon on her dress. She had to get Zirb to believe her plan without any suspicion.

"Of course," Zirb replied without hesitation as she took Brine's hand and squeezed it gently.

* * *

Brine and Zirb walked with Fili to Erebor. They barely exchanged a couple of words, but Brine kept her gaze intertwined with Fili as long as she could. A smile accompanied them always. When they arrived at the palace, Brine let Zirb walk to her room.

"It's your turn to do your part." She whispered in a low voice. Fili nodded discreetly and hid in a long corridor.

Brine and Zirb arrived at her room. It was quite wide and yet quite empty. There was only a dark wooden desk to match a wardrobe, and a wide bed covered by light tulle curtains which kept the insects at bay. Zirb went straight to the closet, opening it wide.

"Where did they come from?" Zirb asked, pointing to a pair of dresses hanging from a bar inside.

"Balin brought them to me when I woke up. He said it would do me good to dress like a girl again." Brine replied selflessly.

"They're not quite your style," Zirb commented. "Are you going to want to take them home?" Brine looked at her. She felt a twinge of pain in her stomach as she heard Zirb speak of the Blue Mountains as her home. She nodded to the question. They were not very pretty dresses, but Brine would always remember her adventure and Fili when she looked at them. "All right..." Zirb muttered as she took them and left them on the bed to fold. "Where are you going to keep them?"

"I think there's a sack there that might do." Brine pointed to a drawer in the closet.

"Brine!" exclaimed Zirb with her hands on her hips. "You can't use an old, worn-out sack to store your things."

"I doubt you'll find anything more appropriate here." Brine laughed as she opened her room door and waved her out to search outside. Zirb walked past her as she swore she would find something.

* * *

Brine had been sitting on her bed for a while waiting for Zirb to arrive. She did not know what she could do to entertain herself. A few knocks on her door in a row made her run to get up just as it opened wide.

"What are you supposed to be doing here, Fili?" asked Brine as she saw Fili's moustache braids appear on the door frame. "What if I wasn't decent?"

"What?" Fili blushed and looked away uncomfortably. "Just... I need you to look at this." He exclaimed as he came to and grabbed Brine by the wrist, pulling her into the hallway.

Brine walked as fast as she could behind Fili down the long corridor until they reached a kind of gallery with big windows overlooking a large courtyard. In the centre was a fountain, and next to it two figures were talking. Brine looked at Fili, who was looking at her mischievously.

"What are they supposed to be doing?" Brine asked. She did not expect Fili to improvise in their plan.

"They met by chance. Thorin has just left a meeting with Dwalin and Balin and has gone out to meditate. And she's lost, or so I think she told him." Fili summed it up as quickly as he could. He did not want to miss a single part of the conversation. Brine nodded and was silent as she paid attention to Thorin and Zirb.

"What are you doing here?" Thorin asked without moving from his place leaning against the fountain.

"I was looking for the way back to the rooms," Zirb replied with her head down and looking into her hands as she twisted a piece of cloth.

"What do you have there?" Thorin asked. "What do you have there?" he asked angrily again and walked over to her, wrenching the cloth from her hands. "You have it, don't you? What do you intend to do with it?" Thorin knelt as he opened the cloth and shouted in desperation. Zirb walked away from him in fright, but something made her change her mind.

Brine looked at Fili, surprised by Thorin's behaviour, but Fili did not look at her. His gaze was fixed on the couple. Brine saw how Zirb knelt in front of Thorin and took the piece of cloth from his hands. Zirb looked for Thorin's face and embraced him tenderly. Brine felt a strange twinge in her stomach. Suddenly she did not want to be there anymore. She did not want to go on with the plan. She got up quickly while pulling Fili.

"Let's go."

"Why? They're still down there." Said Fili as he let himself go. "Brine!" He exclaimed as he stopped her.

"This is none of our business." Brine felt a knot forming in her throat. "Fili. Please." Her green eyes dug into him.

"All right." Fili finally replied.

* * *

Fili accompanied Brine to her room in complete silence. Occasionally Brine caught a few furtive glances but nothing else came out.

"Well, here we are." Fili stopped in front of Brine's door and waited for her to come in.

"Thank you for coming with me." Brine muttered without looking up from the floor.

"It was nothing." For some strange reason, Fili did not feel like leaving Brine alone. "Brine." He called her after a long hesitation. "What happened before?" That question made their eyes intertwine.

"I don't know, but..." Brine tried to find the exact words to describe her feelings. "Didn't you feel like we were meddling in something that didn't belong to us? They have something else hidden that we don't know about, and I doubt we ever will." Brine averted her eyes. "Thorin looked so broken."

"And Zirb seemed to be the only one who understood him," Fili replied. "Brine, the plan was..."

"Forget about the plan, Fili. We have to leave things as they are." Said Brine turning to her room and leaving Fili with the word out.

* * *

It had been hours since Brine locked herself in her room. Zirb had knocked on her door several times, but she had not answered. She needed to be alone and pull herself together after being so miserable with someone who had offered her so much kindness in her life. Again a few knocks on her door caught her attention. Brine waited until whoever was knocking got tired but the sound of something sliding under her door made her get up from her bed. There was a note wrapped in a red thread that continued outward. The note was completely empty, so Brine became curious and began to slowly follow the thread. She climbed up some stone stairs and walked through narrow corridors until she came to an open balcony from which she could see the City of the Valle and the ruins of the City of the Lake. The sun began to descend, leaving an orange light that bathed the corners of the landscape.

"You've arrived quickly." Brine turned quickly. Fili was behind her with his hands behind his back. "The truth is, I was hoping I'd have to go looking for you." He smiled as he stared at her.

"Where am I?" Brine asked curiously.

"According to Balin, this is where the ceremonies were held before they had to flee because of the dragon. I thought it would be a good idea to arrange the dinner we planned between Zirb and Thorin here." Fili walked up to her and stood next to her.

"Fili, I told you we weren't going to go on." Fili started walking and pushing Brine to follow him.

"Exactly, but I had it all set up and it would be a shame to throw it all away, wouldn't it? Don't look at me like that, it's not the food. What else would I do with all this?" Brine saw Fili point to a table set up with big, comfortable chairs and different dishes and fruit. The table was surrounded by a light curtain that protected it from intruders who wanted to steal some of the food.

"Fili..." Brine could not believe it.

"Since you're leaving now, I thought it might be a good idea to take advantage of the fact that I had everything ready to say goodbye," Fili replied as he helped Brine onto the table. Brine looked at him tenderly. She did not expect Fili to be so nice to her after all.

* * *

Dinner could not have been nicer for Brine and ended with the two of them sitting on the balcony wall with their feet dangling in the air. Fili started talking to her about the stars and the constellations. Brine paid attention to every word he said, treasuring every word and every gesture.

"Thank you for everything, Fili. It was something... Something magical."

"You're welcome." Fili smiled but did not look away from something he had in his hands. "Do you know what they say about the red thread? They say there's a red thread that binds people together. A bond that is so strong that nothing and no one can break it. And those people are bound together forever." Brine felt Fili's hand on hers and saw a red thread tied to her little finger. "I'll always be by your side, Brine." Fili took her hand and kissed her back. Brine stared at him. Fili began to bow but angry voices began to echo inside. Fili snapped his tongue and separated from Brine, turning and running inside. Brine followed close behind, a little disappointed by the interruption of the moment, as she wondered what would have happened if they had not heard those voices. Voices that came from Thorin, who had Zirb kneeling in front of him.

"No one will leave or enter Erebor until what is rightfully mine appears!" exclaimed Thorin. "And as for you, I hope you will be pleased with your new quarters. Take her to the dungeons." He said to Dwalin, who begged him not to. Zirb's screams went into Brine's head, and no matter how much she covered her ears she still heard them filled with rage and terror.


	17. Chapter 17

p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"It had been three days since Thorin had lockdown everyone in Erebor. He kept asking for what was rightful for him. None knew what he was talking about. At least Fili and Kili did not know about it. She tried to look for Zirb in the dungeons but there was always someone stopping her./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I'm sorry, Brine, but if Thorin finds out that I have let you see her… I don't want to know what he would do to me…" Bofur said one time. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""But she hasn't done anything wrong. She was here helping me out to go back home." She argued but Bofur did not move./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I'm sorry!" He yelled once Brine decided to walk away from there. She needed to find a way to take her out of there./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"-/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Are you crazy?" Fili asked as he walked from one side to of the room to the other. "He will put you inside the dungeons too if you go and tell him that." Brine followed him with her green eyes./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""It's the only solution unless we find out what he is looking for." Brine explained for the third time./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""The problem is that we don't know what he is looking for." Fili sighed and sat down next to her in his bed. "Brine, I'm sure he will change his mind soon, so don't worry." He tried to calm her down./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""But she is my friend! She is like my sister. I cannot let her abandon there!" Brine said as she did the same thing Fili was doing a moment before. She started walking around the room. "What if it was me instead of Zirb. Wouldn't you try to help me?" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I guess so." He murmured and looked at the other side. Brine felt that it was useless to keep talking and she went to her room. "Brine, wait." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""No Fili. This is useless. We are here, locked, just because he had this stupid thought that we have stolen something from him." She was about leaving when Kili appeared in the room without even knocking the door./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I was looking for you guys!" He said as he entered in Fili's room./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Kili. What did I tell you about entering without knocking?" Fili asked in a big brother tone./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""It is important." Brine pushed her back against the door and waited for Kili to tell them whatever he needed. "I know what Thorin is looking for." Fili and Brine focused their attentions in Kili's words. "The Arkenstone." He finally said./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What is that?" Brine asked quickly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""The King's jewel," Fili answered slowly. "But I thought it was something that Smaug kept in the chambers," Fili said and Brine felt completely lost while the brothers kept talking./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Okay, guys. Now we know what he wants. We just must look for it. And then, I can take Zirb out of the dungeons." She said in a cheerful tone and walked outside the room with Fili and Kili following her. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Brine, do you have any idea where to start looking?" Fili said. "I propose to wait until tomorrow, so we'll have more time." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What? I'm sure it is not that difficult." She turned back but kept walking. "Come on. The first one to get it wins." She cheered the guys. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What is the prize?" Kili asked funny. "A kiss from you?" He laughed and blinked her an eye./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Well, that could be your prize." She answered turning her gaze away from him. She wished she could ask for the same prize: A kiss from Fili. "But mine would be…" She was about to finish her sentence when they arrived at the treasure's chambers. They were in something like a bridge, from they could see everything shining in gold. "This is the place?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Are you ready?" Kili asked from behind her as he put a hand on her shoulder./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Yes." Brine nodded and walked down unsecured. She felt the rounded coins under her as she walked above them. She had never been in a place like that and she was sure she would never be again. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"-/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"It had been two hours since they began to look for the Arkenstone without finding it. Brine sat against a wall and hit her head lightly. She was tired and she needed a little rest, but she could not stop. Not for Zirb. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""It looks nice on you." Fili's voice said fanny as he put something on her head. Brine opened her eyes and found him in front of her with a smile on his face. She took her hands above her head and felt something like a tiara. She smiled back to him. "Maybe if you change your cape for this coat…" He offered her a long and heavy coat made of the most luxurious fabric she had ever seen. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Hmm. What do you think? Do I look like the Queen of Erebor now?" She laughed as she walked around him. Kili joined them once he heard the noises. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Definitely yes." He said as he looked at Fili. "But you are missing something." Brine and Fili looked at him confused. Suddenly, he put a crown over Fili's head and pushed him to Brine. Fili fell on his knees in front of Brine. "You are missing your King." Neither Fili nor Brine could look at the other. They were so embarrassed that they were avoiding crossing their gaze. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"So you are the ones that I should blame for everything." A rude voice said from above them. The three of them looked for the owner of the voice and met Thorin. "You are the ones that have what it is mine." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Uncle is not what you think. We were trying to help. We were just having a rest." Fili began to say as he walked to him but stopped at the begging of the stairs. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You are so naïve, Fili. Do you think that was what you were doing? Women have a nice way to control our minds. They managed to make you think that you are something to them. That they care for you… And they do, until they get what they want." He said coldly fixing his gaze on Brine. "I should have known since the beginning. You came with us to take it, right?" He took her wrist and pulled her closer. Brine complained./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I think you should stop," Fili said trying to control his nerves. Thorin did not listen to him and continued arguing. "I said stop!" Fili yelled as he pushed him away from Brine. "Don't you ever touch her again." He embraced Brine and took a few steps back. They looked at each other for a long time until Kili broke it./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What is that?" He asked as he heard a noise of voices coming from outside. Kili and Thorin looked through a little window while Fili was checking Brine./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I'm fine." She said while holding the tears in her eyes. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Don't believe a word he has said. He is not right." He said as he hugged Brine and caressed her hair. "Go to your room. I'm going to find out what's wrong, but I don't want you to be near him. Not for now." Fili ordered Brine and she nodded as she walked quickly back to her room./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"-/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"It seemed like forever until she reached her door and closed it. Once inside her room, she let herself to cry all the tension and fear that was inside her head. She hugged her knees as she thought about everything that had happened a moment before. She tried to analyse Thorin's words, but instead of that, it was Fili's image that came to her mind. None had treated her with such tenderness and loving way. She felt sadder then as she thought about her marriage. She wished her future husband to be half like Fili, but she was sure he would be a stubborn and mean dwarf. She felt asleep crying and thinking about how it would be to be married to Fili instead of with a complete unknown dwarf. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"She woke up at dawn. Erebor was complete silence. She looked through her window and saw a terrific image. A whole men army was outside Erebor, next to an elven one. They were waiting in lines for something. She ran quickly out of her room and started hitting Fili's door. When he opened the door, Brine felt worst. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What's wrong?" Fili asked as he took her face in his hand. "Are you okay, Brine?" He looked at her worried. Brine took a step back. She could not help but notice Fili's armour. "Brine!" He called her./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Are you even serious?" She did not hide the disappointment. "Are you thinking about going out there to fight against those people?!" She asked pointing to the window. "They are going to defeat you in less than one hour!" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""We are good fighters, Brine!" Fili answered hurt. "What do you want us to do? To stay here until they took Erebor and we lost our home again? We have been looking for that all our life. We are not going to lose it so easily." He said with a hard tone. Brine looked at him as she shocked her head lightly. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You are like him. All you can think it is about honour and pride. But what about if you think for one time about the others?" She said and walked away before he had time to answer her. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"-/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"She did not want to get back to her room. She was sure Fili would go there to look for her and she did not feel like talking to him at all. She walked around Erebor until she ended in the dungeons. None was there. She walked slowly and approached her ear to the door as she was calling Zirb. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Brine?" A voice asked. "Is it you?" She asked again. Brine looked around the room waiting to find the keys to open the door. "There are no keys. The door has a latch I think." Brine looked carefully and she found it. She could not help but felt the most stupid girl at that moment. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Zirb." She murmured when she opened the door and saw the girl. Her hair was a mess and her dress had dust stains that covered her skirt. "Tell me that you are okay." She begged as she hugged her. "I've tried to come here earlier, but they did not let me see you." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I know! I have heard every word you said." Zirb answered as she hugged Brine tighter. "Don't worry. I'm okay now." She smiled sweetly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Oh Zirb, you had no idea about what is going on." Brine told her as she explained her everything about Thorin's behaviour and the armies that were outside Erebor. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Brine, we need to get out of here as soon as possible," Zirb said as she took her friend hand and ran away from the dungeons. Brine could not help but think about Fili. He would be mad at her when he found out that she was not there anymore. She wanted to talk to him and at least, confessed everything that he means to her. She wanted to tell him that she loves him. But Zirb was right. They needed to get out of Erebor as soon as possible. /span/p 


End file.
